


The Woman She was Meant to Be

by Kristina67



Series: The Book of Ben [2]
Category: Benedict Cumberbatch - Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-04
Updated: 2014-12-01
Packaged: 2018-02-16 04:14:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 84
Words: 88,618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2255517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kristina67/pseuds/Kristina67
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is the story of what happens to Lily after she finished her story One Plus One as she publishes it as a novel and gets to meet Benedict in Real Life.  Spoilers included if you havent read all of One Plus One Changes Everything.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. An Agent anyone?

**Author's Note:**

> I love to get comments of any kind. If you like it enough to give it Kudos please let me know what it is you like. If you don't like it you can let me know that too as long as you tell me why. Thanks!  
> Don't be afraid of the large number of chapters as they are relatively short and I promise they will keep your interest. Thanks for reading

Getting a book published was harder than Lily had expected but the rewards of having done so were enormous. Looking at where she was now, she could only say it was well worth the effort.

Everyone who had read her story loved the concept and the way she had brought her characters to life. She had posted it anonymously on an online site and had gotten many rave reviews. The story of Danielle and Benedict had brought Lily many fans as they fell in love with Danielle and cheered her on to make the right decision to be with Benedict. 

The problem was Lily was an unknown and publishers just weren’t ready to take the risk. Lily had spent many months bringing her manuscript for “The Woman She was Meant to Be” to hundreds of literary houses trying to get them to publish it. Most of the time she couldn’t even get in the door and when she did it was only to hear them tell her no.

Someone suggested that instead of trying to win over publishers who didn’t know or want to know her, she should try to get an agent. If she could convince a literary agent of the value of her book, and that agent was well known to the publishers, than they would have the credibility that she lacked. Not one to give up easily, Lily set out to get an agent. What she found out was that getting an agent was as difficult as getting a publisher. They too weren’t crazy to take on an unknown author. Lily was getting down to her last couple of potential agents and she was feeling discouraged but she couldn’t stop until all possible avenues were exhausted. What she thought was once just a fantasy was now a possibility. She had to do all she could to try to make it happen. Romance novels weren’t exactly high on Agent priority lists but finally she was able to convince Daniel Preston to sit down with her and talk.

As she approached Mr. Preston’s building, she took a deep breath and reminded herself that her book was great and that Mr. Preston would be lucky to have her for a client. She just had to get him to realize it.

Daniel’s office was in a very unassuming building. Made of modern day steel and fabricated materials, it was like all the other buildings downtown. Like the building, Daniel was a very unassuming man. You would never know what a go getter he was by looking at him; he had an air of laid back ease. His confidence in his abilities allowed him to be relaxed and he found the more relaxed he was the more relaxed his clients became. 

Daniel was the type of man you could pass right by and not even notice, yet if you did stop to take a look at him you would consider him fairly handsome. He had a rugged jaw and smooth skin and blue eyes that twinkled when he smiled. His features were nice but not out of the ordinary thus not causing him to stand out in a crowd. At 41 years old Daniel was still a bachelor. He had dated many women and had 2 serious, almost permanent, relationships but he always ended up alone. If you asked him he would always say they were nice girls that he truly admired but that the spark wasn’t there at the end of the day. 

As an agent, Daniel spent a lot of his time travelling and entertaining or being entertained. In this respect it was good that he had never settled down as it gave him the freedom to meet his work obligations without having competing familial ones. His apartment was impressive nice; he had put a lot of money into it, as it was an investment. He drove a very nice convertible sports car as he felt if he was going to be successful, he should look successful. Even though he liked nice things, he didn’t act like someone who needed them nor did he act spoiled as if he expected them. He was down to earth in all the ways that mattered.

Lily walked into Daniel’s office putting on her most confident smile. His secretary led her into his office where he extended his hand to her and then asked her to take a seat.

“So Lily, tell me why I should take you on as a client” Daniel said  
“Well Mr. Preston, I have looked at the lists of your clients and you currently do not represent anyone who writes the same genre as me, therefore I would fit nicely in your stable of clients. More importantly, I have the next big pop culture novel that will make you and I a lot of money if you can help me to get it published” she said in response.

“Well, you have done some homework that’s good. But what makes you think your book is so special? I see tons of romance novels everyday” he asked. ‘And call me Daniel please” he added

“Because I wasn’t the one writing the other books!” she said confidently. “Every writer has a different voice and I know my voice grabs people’s attention and makes them want to read more. I have had many people describe my book in this way and these aren’t people who are easily won over. Yes it will attract a specific subset of people- women mostly- but then aren’t woman the majority of the people who purchase romance novels anyway?” she asked. 

“Well that is true. This type of book can easily be left on the shelf though and not even looked at.”  
‘Isn’t it your job and the publisher’s job to ensure the book gets enough publicity to get noticed?”  
He thought for a moment, she did have him there. “I guess it is. You have an answer for everything don’t you my dear?”  
‘Yes Daniel I do and that’s because I know my stuff and I am passionate about this book. I am more passionate about this than anything else I have ever done.”  
“I’ll tell you what” he began “I’ll read your manuscript and if it can keep my attention long enough to finish it then I will take you on as a client”  
“Oh that’s perfect” she said  
“Don’t get too excited, I’m certainly not the romance kind of person so it will have to be really good to keep my attention” he said.  
“I’m not worried. I know you only have to start reading it and I will be your client” She dropped a business card on his desk. “There is a paper copy of my manuscript on your secretary’s desk and an electronic copy in your email. Call me when you are done” she said and she stood up and walked out his door.

As he watched her walk out of the office he thought... If the book is half as interesting as she is it should be good


	2. To Be or Not to Be

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daniel decides if he wants to take on Lily as a client

When Lily reached the street she let out a huge sigh. She acted brave and confident in the meeting but she didn’t really feel that way. She needed Daniel to like her book as without an agent she knew she couldn’t get anywhere. He seemed nice enough and not bad to look at either, she thought. She would be holding her breathe waiting for him to get back to her.

Daniel wasn’t normally in a hurry to read new work, but the impression Lily left with him made him eager to see if her work backed up her words. He took the paper manuscript home with him. After supper he sat down with her book in his favorite reading chair, the kind that is partially worn out and comfortable enough to curl up in. With a glass of crisp white California wine in his hand, he started to read “The Woman She was Meant to Be”. 

The first chapter could use a little work but it began powerfully enough that it caught his attention. This was important in any book otherwise no one would want to read further.   
He continued reading and the next thing he knew it was an hour later and he was 20 chapters into the 64 chapter manuscript. The grammar needed work and the conventions lacked knowledge, but the intimacy that Lily shared with her audience caused him to be drawn into the story. He felt like he was listening to a close friend divulge her most private secrets. It made him wonder how much of this was actually fiction and how much was based on personal experience. If it was all fiction this girl certainly had a talent. If it was personal experience then she had a way of sharing it that made you want to know more. 

He found himself eager to see where she would be taking the story. Romance novels have a defined amount of ways the plot can resolve itself: girl gets boy, girl doesn’t get boy, wife leaves husband for new man, wife turns down new man for husband, wife leaves husband and doesn’t get new man, or husband leaves wife. Because of this, the way the story is told and the emotion it invokes is the key to how good the story will be. In Lily’s book, she starts to take things one way and then does a 180 and does the opposite. She uses her supporting characters to help bring the story along through the twists and turns. 

Besides good story ideas, the way the girl uses her words to evoke emotions is infectious.  
Daniel knew he wasn’t normally a “romance” kind of guy but he felt for Lily’s protagonist Danielle and he was looking to get further inside her head to see what she was feeling. 

Daniel kept reading and didn’t stop until he was done. Not only did he enjoy the story and how it ended but he also that the topic would be something many 40 something women could relate to. And the 40 something women are the ones who do the most reading. Yes he could definitely see a market for this book.

Lily didn’t sleep all that night. She tossed and turned thinking about Daniel reading her book and worrying about whether he would like it or not. It was stupid really since he didn’t say when he would read it. He was likely busy enough that she was sure her book was not the first thing on his mind. She was sitting with her cup of coffee starring out the wind trying to wake up. It was a beautiful day and the sun was streaming into her apartment making it seem more inviting than it normally was. When the phone rang she jumped at the sound as it broke the silence of her morning.

“Hello” she said  
“Hello is this Lily Waters” the voice on the other end asked?  
“Yes it is. Who’s calling?”  
‘It’s Daniel Preston. Do you have time to talk?” he asked.  
“Yes, absolutely” she said. She was excited to hear his voice but then her mood immediately changed as she realized it must be bad news. He wouldn’t have had time to read her whole book. He must have read only enough to know he wasn’t interested. She sat back and prepared herself for the worst.

“I started reading your book last evening. I found the grammar to be lacking and your writing etiquette to be very amateurish. You also know that romance novels area dime a dozen so coming up with an original idea is very difficult...” he paused for a moment and before he could continue she jumped in.

“Yes I am aware and I’m not surprised by what you are telling me. I appreciate you taking the time to look at it and I won’t bother you again” she said planning for that to be the end of their discussion.

‘You really should wait to make sure a person it done talking before you jump in” he said “because it is really rude to interrupt someone in the middle of a thought” 

“I’m sorry” Lily apologized. “I just figured I would save you some time by not having you finish explaining why you can’t represent me” 

“Well that should be my choice now shouldn’t it?” Lily nodded and kept silent.  
“As I was saying you have all those things against you which would make my job very difficult to try to get you published and to promote the book to any success…But, what you didn’t let me say, was that I couldn’t stop reading your words. You completely engaged me with your characters and your honest sentiment and I needed to find out what happened to all of them.”

Lily’s eyes lit up as he was talking. “Really? You really enjoyed it?”

“I loved it Lily and if you can tell me this won’t be a one-time fluke then I would be happy to represent you!”

“Oh Mr. Preston!” she squealed into the phone.  
“Now I know where Danielle gets it from in your story… save my eardrums please!” he exclaimed.

‘So sorry but you don’t know what this means to me. I have been turned down so many times that to hear that someone who knows writing is interested in helping me had made my day, month, and year!” she said.

“Well I am happy to give you such good news. Come in to see me tomorrow morning at 10am and we can talk details then” he said.

“I’ll see you then Daniel” Lily replied as she collapsed back into her chair in disbelief and relief.


	3. Success

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From an agent to success. Lily's journey progresses

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (This chapter is a filler… it takes us from Daniel taking on Lily as a client to getting the book published.)

The meeting between Lily and Daniel went pretty much the way most initial meetings go between agents and new clients. They had to negotiate the terms of her contract with him, let each other know what their expectations were from each other and what direction they each saw their journey to success taking them. As usual, they were initially at odds over how they wanted to promote the book and which publishing houses they were going to approach but as they started to discuss their reasons why and got to understand what was important to each of them, they were able to come to an agreement on things. 

Together they made a plan of attack for Daniel to get a publisher hooked. He would make the initial inroads with the companies but he felt strongly that once he was able to get his foot in the door, that Lily herself would be the best selling feature they had. If she could impress the publishers the way she impressed him, they would be more eager to look at her book.

The plan they had was beautifully executed and the result was that they hooked a publishing company within 3 months! That was record time for a new writer. Daniel Preston definitely knew what he was doing! Penguin Publishing is an expert in romance novels and Lily was extremely fortunate to have them wanting to publish her book. 

Lily’s next few months were spent working with Penguin to refine her story. The manuscript needed a lot of editing to make it grammatically correct and to refine the layout of the chapters. All of the things Lily had very little knowledge of when she had written her story. It was very hard for her to see her work torn apart but she knew it had to be done and she welcomed their experience. 

Penguin was good at agreeing to keep most of her story as she had written it. But one of the things they had no choice about was taking Benedict’s name out of it. They could keep his character and his family’s characters but they had to remove his persona from the story or else they would have to get his permission and/or risk being sued. Lily definitely didn’t want to do anything to upset Benedict and so she readily agreed. His character then became known as movie star Charlie Bansfield. 

When the editing was done and the book was printed, it was Daniel’s turn to help Penguin make it a success. He touted the book as being the working Mom’s 50 Shades.   
Advertisements were on every online book website, posters for the book were everywhere. Daniel had provided books to all the major talk show producers and copies were given out to many Mom groups in the area. By calling it the next big book of the summer, people automatically thought it was something they needed to read and once they read it they quickly spread the word that the book lived up to the hype! 

Before Lily knew it, her book was on the best sellers list and climbing to the top rapidly. Talk shows were now responding to the books Daniel had sent them and they were inviting Lily to be on their shows. This was really happening. Lily’s dreams of becoming a successful writer were coming true! She was in shock, she was nervous but mostly she was elated. She had worked so hard and kept her faith when it looked like it would never happen. If she hadn’t acted with confidence that fateful date when she walked into Daniel’s office, this would never have become a reality for her.

She knew she had reached the ultimate level of success in her mind when she was invited to be on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. She loved that show and thought of all the times she had watched the celebrities she liked on that stage. She and Daniel went to New York the week before the broadcast as Daniel has booked her at for some book signing gigs around town. Might as well make the most of things while she was there. Things were going well but her heart stopped beating the day the producer of the Tonight show called her for her pre-interview.


	4. Who is going to be there?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily finds out who the other guest will be with her on the Tonight Show

Marvin called from the Tonight Show and started reviewing the questions that Jimmy would be asking Lily during her time with him. They were pretty basic questions about where her idea from the book came from, how it felt to be successful with her very first book, etc. It was after all the interview questions were done that Marvin delivered the news that made Lily shake in her seat. Marvin told Lily that she would be Jimmy’s second guest of the night. She would be on right after the British actor Benedict Cumberbatch who was there to promote his newest movie. Marvin asked her if she was familiar with Benedict and his work. 

Familiar? Familiar? God if she were any more familiar she would be doing the roles herself! Lily could not believe her good fortune. OMG she was going to be meeting her idol, the person she had based her book on. She almost fell off her chair when Marvin told her. She tried to regain her composure so Marvin would not be aware and she replied very calmly “Yes Marvin I have seen some of his work, in the Hobbit I believe?”

When they were done talking and Lily had hung up the phone, she couldn’t wait to tell Daniel her news. He was in his hotel room which connected to hers. She rushed over and without knocking she opened the door between the 2 rooms. As she opened the door she could see Daniel standing with his back to her completely naked. He had just come out of the shower and was taking off his towel.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry,” Lily said as she covered her eyes with her hands but not before getting a good view of his rather impressive physique. “I should have knocked first” she said trying to recover.

Daniel had quickly put the towel back around him. “It is okay” he said, “I’m sure it’s not the first time you have seen a man’s rear end” he laughed trying to put her at ease. I’m guessing you have something important to tell me by the way you rushed in here?”

“Yes I have amazing news. Guess who is the primary guest on Jimmy Fallon tomorrow night and is on right before me?”  
“Hmmm…Sarah Jessica Parker?”  
“No silly of course not. That would not get me excited”  
“Hmmm…could it be EL James?”   
“No I wouldn’t be excited to meet her I would be terrified. The best person I would ever hope to meet will be on the show”  
“Well could it be none other than the extremely handsome, terribly talented, most amazing British export Mr. Benedict Cumberbatch?” he asked laughing  
“You knew?” she said.  
“Yes I just found out this morning but I wanted you to be surprised when they told you.”  
“Surprised? I almost fell off of my chair. Daniel, how am I ever going to get through the interview about my book that was written about him? The book where I imagined and wrote about him doing all these incredibly sordid things to my character?”   
“I don’t know but you will have to figure something out because its tomorrow night and you don’t want to make a fool out of yourself by gushing all over him or blushing madly all night” he said. “You do know he is just a human being like everyone else?”  
“I know he’s human but you do have to admit he is special. That’s why so many women are smitten by him and why I was driven to write this book in the first place. He’s not just any ordinary man.”  
“I bet at the end of the day he leaves the toilet seat up just like every other man does” Daniel retorted  
‘Yes but I bet he would apologize for it rather than say it was his right as a man to do so!” Lily fired back.

As Lily went back to her own room, her mind was all mixed up. She kept thinking about how she was going to contain herself when she met Benedict but something else kept sneaking into her mind every now and then—she kept seeing Daniel’s beautiful bottom and muscular legs and back! These thoughts she immediately pushed out of her mind and pretended like they never happened. Daniel was her agent and nothing more, no matter how round and perfect his behind was!


	5. Meeting Benedict

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily gets to finally meet Benedict and tries to keep it together

This was it, Lily was getting out of the limousine that the Tonight Show had sent for her and was making her way into the theatre. Her heart was in her chest, partially because she was going to be on the Tonight Show but mostly because she was going to get to meet Benedict and sit next to him while she did her interview. The thought of it was making her nauseous. At least she would get to watch him from the Green Room first so she hopefully would relax there before she went out on stage.

Lily had chosen a nice cocktail dress for the occasion. Daniel had told her it would be good for her to portray herself as sexy since she was trying to sell sex in her book. So she let him help her pick out a nice straight cut sleeveless navy dress that was cinched in to show off her small waist and tight across her ample hips. The bodice was cut down low showing off her stunning cleavage. There was a slit up the side which showed off her well-toned legs. All that time in the swimming pool, had paid off. Earlier when Daniel saw her for the first time he let out a whistle and shook his head. 

“I didn’t know I was going to be escorting the next Victoria Secret model” he said.  
“Me either but I do have to say that I feel very sexy in this dress. Good thing too because I wouldn’t want Benedict to see me as some frumpy housewife.” Lily answered  
“I don’t think there is any chance of that he said” as he had led her to the car. 

Now as she entered the Green Room she tried to think of how confident the dress made her feel. She thought about that sexy woman she had seen in the mirror earlier and reminded herself that she was that woman. She was earlier than she needed to be especially since Benedict had to go on first and he was nowhere in sight. Of course that was par for the course for him as he was never on time. This gave Lily a chance to settle in and get comfortable before he arrived. She was sitting in the room with David who was trying to help her relax when Jimmy came in to greet her.

“Hello Lily, it’s so nice to meet you” he said. And then he put out his hand to Daniel to welcome him as well.  
“Nice to meet you Jimmy. Thank you so much for inviting me to your show. I watch you all the time and I feel privileged to be here.”  
‘Thank you but it is I who feels privileged. Your book is tearing up the charts and I wanted to get you here before everyone else scooped you up. Did you hear who else is on the show tonight?” he asked  
“Yes, Benedict Cumberbatch I believe?” she said trying to show she was unaffected by this.  
“Yes that’s right. He should be here any minute I am being told. You should get a chance to meet him before the two of you come on. Anyway I have to go myself. I will see you out there shortly. Relax and don’t worry about a thing, it will just be you and I having a chat with a few million people watching” he said with a grin.  
‘Easy for you to say” she fired back as he was out the door and up the hall. Daniel had excused himself to go to the washroom when she heard someone coming. She was looking down into her purse and just thought it was Jimmy coming back. 

“Forget something did you Jimmy?” she asked as the person entered the room.   
“Sorry Luv, not Jimmy I’m afraid. Will I do?” he asked in his deep baritone voice.

Lily’s heart jumped out of her chest. There he was in all his glory standing a mere 3 feet away from her looking splendid as always. He was wearing the gray suite he wore at TIFF last year and underneath was a crisp white button up shirt with the top 2 buttons undone. His hair was a bit longer again and dark, the way she liked it. She had to make a conscious effort to ensure her mouth did not hang open or that she didn’t stare at him too long.

“Oh, you surprised me. Jimmy had just been here and I assumed it was him coming back for something.” she replied trying hard to get the words out right.  
“Nope it’s just me. Benedict Cumberbatch at your service” he said and held out his hand to her. She stood up and put out her own hand to shake his. 

“Lily Waters” she said as she took hold of his hand. She noticed how warm and smooth his hand was. And the pictures of how long his fingers were did not do them justice. She had never seen hands so large and fingers so long. Oh the things she was sure he could do with those fingers. It brought a blush to her cheeks to think about it.

“Everything okay Ms. Waters?” he asked “Your face seems to be flushed”  
“Everything is fine and please call me Lily. I just find it a little warm in here that’s all”  
“Oh good, I was afraid you might faint on me” he said. “And please call me Benedict also”  
“Thank you Benedict and don’t worry I am fine”

Lily had her MP3 with her and she had put it on earlier in hopes it would relax her. While it wasn’t turned up load, it could be heard faintly throughout the room. As Benedict and Lily were having this exchange, the music changed to a song that caused Benedict to perk up his ears.

“Is that the Stone Roses I hear?” he asked.  
“Yes it is. You have good hearing” Lily replied.  
“Well ‘I am the Resurrection’ is one of my favorite songs” he said  
“Yes I like it a lot too. I find the drum beat very relaxing” she said. What Lily didn’t tell him was that she only found out about the song when she was researching Benedict online. He did an interview where he said it was one of his top 10 favorites and Lily had listened to it to see what it was like. While she didn’t like some of the songs on his list, this was stuck with her. 

They didn’t get a chance to say anything else as the monitor showed Jimmy’s monologue coming to an end and the stage hand was there is bring Benedict out.  
“See you out there Lily” he said. The sound of her name coming off of his lips made her weak in the knees it sounded so exotic.  
“Break a leg Benedict” she replied and he smiled at her as he left.


	6. Tonight Show part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily's interview with Jimmy starts off on the right foot

Lily watched Benedict chatting with Jimmy about his life and the movie he was there to promote. If you just listened to him talk you would think he was a pro and that he was completely at ease, but Benedict had a Tell. Whenever he gets asked a question that makes him uncomfortable, he rubs his thighs. It’s like a coping thing for him as it helps put him at ease. It does the total opposite to his fan base however as him rubbing his thighs is an extreme turn on!

“Did you see that Daniel?” Lily asked. “When he rubs his thighs like that it means he’s uncomfortable”  
‘How do you know that?” he asked  
‘All you have to do is watch enough interviews to see that he only does that when he gets asked a tough question. Otherwise he never does.” She replied.

It wasn’t long before Benedict’s interview was wrapping up and that meant only one thing; it was Lily’s turn to take the stage. Her stomach was getting tied up in knots as the stage hand came to get her from the Green Room and led her to the backstage area. Daniel gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek and told her she would knock them dead. She smiled and listened as Jimmy began to introduce her.

“My next guest is new to the talk show circuit but that won’t be for much longer. Her first book “The Woman she was Meant to Be” is rapidly climbing the New York Best Seller list as it gives housewives everywhere something to aspire to. Please help me welcome Lily Waters”

Lily very carefully began walking to the stage. The last thing she wanted was to trip and fall in front of so many people. She watched as Benedict stood up to greet her as she approached, he reached out to kiss her on the cheek as was the custom among celebrities. As he did he whispered in her ear “Relax, you’ll be fine.” Lily wasn’t sure this helped her though as the sound of his voice so close to her ear and the feel of his lips on her cheek only caused her to be more aroused, not to relax. 

Lily then reached out to Jimmy as he did the same as Benedict and he also whispered to her “You look great” which helped her calm a little bit.

She sat down and when the applause stopped, Jimmy began.   
“Welcome to NYC Lily. Is this your first trip here?’  
“No actually I have been here a few times before, but nothing compared to this trip”  
“I would imagine not, since now you are becoming the toast of the town”  
“I don’t know about the toast but I am being spoiled and it is beyond my wildest dreams to be here on your show as well as the others I am scheduled to do over the next couple of weeks.”

“You are from Canada?” he asked  
“Yes I am, from a small province on the East Coast—Hello to all the people in New Brunswick” she added.   
“So how does a girl from a small province as you called it, end up becoming a famous writer?”  
‘That’s actually something I ask myself all the time. I didn’t actually start seriously writing until 2 years ago. I was working a corporate job where I was passed over many times for a promotion. I became bored and felt my talents were being underutilized. I needed a new challenge in my life, something to make me happy.”

“I had always wanted to write but could never figure out what I wanted to write about. I had never been someone who followed celebrities closely before or who got starstruck, but I began watching a television show I really liked and then I started becoming familiar with the other works the lead actor had done. The more I researched, the more intrigued I became and suddenly this idea came to mind about writing this character that does similar to what I had done. So Danielle became part me and part the life I thought I would always lead and the idea just grew form there.”

“So tell us, who was that celebrity who was the inspiration for your book?” Jimmy asked.  
“Actually Jimmy that’s something I would like to keep personal. After all it was something I made up in my mind and I wouldn’t want that person to feel uncomfortable or consider me a stalker!” she added.

“Perhaps he would be flattered” Benedict chimed in.   
Lily felt her cheeks flush then she quickly replied back “Is that how you would feel Benedict?”  
“Maybe, if the writer was someone like you” he grinned.  
“Seems like this is turning into the Lily and Benedict show” Jimmy teased trying to get back to his line of questioning. “Any chance I can cut back in?”  
“Oh yes, sorry Jimmy” Lily said as she focused her attentions back on him.

“So, how did you go from the idea and the book to getting on the best seller list?” Jimmy asked. ‘That couldn’t have been easy?”  
“No it wasn’t but what helped me pursue it was the response I was getting from the people who were reading it. I initially posted it on a fan fiction sight just to see if it was any good. The reactions were so great that I was inspired to take it further. As an unknown romance writer, I couldn’t even get my book in the door of a publishing house. I needed an agent and that’s where the wonderfully talent Daniel Preston came into my life. If Daniel hadn’t had faith in me and the book itself I would still be looking for someone to publish it. I can’t thank Daniel enough for what he did for me” as she said this she looked off stage to where Daniel was and blew him a kiss.

“That’s great. Yes I think we should all thank Daniel as the book is fantastic.” Jimmy said.   
Benedict joined back in the conversation then and added “Yes Lily, my Mum is a big fan of your book. She said she wished that some ‘Bird’ like Danielle would find me!” he laughed.

Lily blushed then thinking if his mother only knew. “Well Benedict there are lots of great woman out there, they just can’t get through to you because of the volume of women who already adore you” 

“Perhaps I need someone creative like you to help me?” he said.  
Lily couldn’t help but watch Benedict’s mouth as he spoke. His lips were so sensual that she couldn’t take her eyes off of them.   
“Perhaps you do” she answered as she forced her eyes back up to meet his.

“Well I think it’s time for a break while these two play matchmaker. We’ll be right back.” Jimmy said with a grin as the band played them into commercials.


	7. Tonight Show part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily and Benedict hit it off

“Wow you guys are awesome. You have great chemistry, are you sure you haven’t met before?” Jimmy asked  
“Nope, first time” Benedict answered, ‘But perhaps it won’t be the last” he said smiling at Lily. Especially now that I know you wrote that book my Mum has been raving about!”  
“You will have to let me autograph another copy for her. I have seen Sherlock before and I thought she and your Dad were great.”  
“That would be super” said.

Just then the stage manager started counting them back from the commercial.  
“We’re back” Jimmy said ‘With my lovely guests actor Benedict Cumberbatch and best-selling author Lily Waters. So Lily tell me why you think you book is so relatable to the general population?”

‘Well Jimmy, what I have discovered as I am getting older is that when women are young they are easily manipulated by societal norms of wanting to get married and have a family. Because of this, they don’t always make the right choices. A lot of women don’t realize this until their children are leaving the nest and they can finally focus on their relationships with their husbands. While it’s often thought of as a midlife crisis, I prefer to think if it as a midlife awakening. They start to remember the people they were and want to reclaim their joie de vivre. Sometimes they do that along with their spouse but often times it causes a rift in the marriage because not all men are open to this change this late in their life. This book is really about that awakening and the challenges it puts on a marriage but also, fits into the everyone woman’s dream of living an exciting life with someone like Benedict here. Someone handsome, and generous and someone who will treat them in a way their husbands never could or never wanted to”

“Wow, puts a lot of pressure on a guy like you Benedict. Did you know you were capable of making all these women’s dreams come true?”

“Gees I don’t know Jimmy” Benedict answered as he rubbed his thigh.   
Oh the subject is making him uncomfortable Lily thought. I’ll have to try to get him out of it.  
“It’s not that women expect you to be perfect Benedict, it’s just on the surface, you look a whole lot better to them then their husbands do and that’s not just because of your looks, it’s because of the kindness and gallantry you display to the public. If you don’t want the pressure stop acting so nice!” she said.

He and Jimmy burst out laughing then at her comment. “I’ll have to talk to my publicist about that one” he grinned.

“Well I’m sorry we don’t have more time for this conversation as it was just getting interesting, but unfortunately we have to wrap it up. Lily I have to say I can’t wait to finish reading your book now and perhaps I can learn some things I can use with my wife. Benedict, a pleasure as always. Thank you all for joining me tonight. See you tomorrow when my guests will be Tom Hanks and singer Sam Smith.”

“3,2,1 and we are out” the stage manager cued us that we were off the air.

“Honestly you too, I am sure my ratings will be going up tonight. That was amazing how you played off of each other like that.” Jimmy commented  
‘Thanks Jimmy” Benedict and I said at the same time and then we started cracking up again.  
“Okay go get a room” he said as he shook our hands and left the stage.  
“That was a lot of fun” Benedict said.  
“Yes I enjoyed it. I hope I didn’t put you on the spot too badly. I noticed how you were rubbing your thighs so I knew Jimmy was making you uncomfortable.”  
Benedict had a surprised look on his face “How did you know that’s why I was doing that?” he asked.  
“Because that is your Tell. You do that anytime a reporter asks you a question you don’t want to answer. Watch some of your interviews on YouTube and you can easily see that” Lily replied.  
“Please tell me you aren’t a Cumberbitch,” he said sheepishly  
‘No I’m not but I have seen some of your work and some of your interviews as research for my book.”  
“Oh good, I love my fans but it makes me a little uncomfortable when they know more about me than I do.” He grinned. “Do you have to rush off anywhere right now or would you be able to have a cup of coffee with me?’ he asked.

“No I don’t need to go anywhere. Daniel and I were going to go celebrate a little but we could have coffee first and then I can meet him for dinner” Lily was trying to sound calm but her heart was beating a mile a minute.  
“Are you sure I don’t want to interrupt your plans?”  
“No I’m sure that would be fine. Daniel and I can always have supper but the chances of our schedules being clear again at the same time are slim. I would enjoy having a cuppa with you” Lily answered  
“Ah you are familiar with our vernacular are you? Great there is a little place just around the corner here that has the best biscuits and puddings.”  
“Just give me a minute to talk to Daniel and then I will be ready” she said.

Daniel had been watching their exchange from the wings and of course he had heard every bit of the interview as well. He was surprised how at ease Lily had seemed to be especially with Benedict as of course the version of the book he had read was very much about Benedict and his family. He wondered how she was feeling right now.

Lily came over to Daniel and gave him a big hug. He hadn’t noticed before how nice she smelled. He was also surprised at how comfortable he was with her arms around him as normally he wasn’t a hugger. 

“Daniel, did I do okay?” she asked innocently  
“Lily you did more than okay, you were spectacular. If the women watching tonight have not read your book they certainly will be rushing out to buy it now!” he replied.

‘Oh Daniel I am so happy. I was afraid I was going to do something to jeopardize my book but I will have to say I was more at erase than I thought I would be. Especially with Benedict right there and participating in the conversation. I think though at some point he became more uncomfortable than I did.”

“Yes I was amazed at how well you handled that knowing the history of your book.”  
“Handled what?” Benedict asked as he snuck up behind them.  
“Oh Benedict you surprised me. Daniel Preston meet Benedict Cumberbatch and vice versa.”  
“Hello Daniel, nice to meet you. If all of your clients talk about you as Lily does you must be a great agent.” Benedict said.  
“Thank you Benedict and nice to meet you as well. I am a fan of yours also”  
“Now what was it Lily handled so well?” Benedict asked “it wasn’t me was it?” he grinned  
“No Mr. Ego” Lily laughed, “We were talking about something else. Not everything is about you, you know!”   
“Oh I am wounded. So Daniel you’re okay with me stealing Lily away for a cuppa before you go out to celebrate?” he asked  
Daniel got a puzzled look on his face. “I was about to ask him when you snuck up on us” Lily said.   
“Oh my apologizes” Benedict said  
“Daniel, I agreed to get a coffee with Benedict before we go out to dinner since we probably won’t get the chance to again. Are you okay if I meet with you later on rather than now?” she asked.  
“Sure that would be fine” Daniel said, trying to hide his disappointment. He really had wanted to go with Lily now and celebrate but he could understand how she would want to sit and talk with Benedict; he was one of her favorite actors after all so he couldn’t make her miss that.  
“You’re sure mate?” Benedict asked ‘I don’t want to interfere”  
“No that’s okay Benedict, Lily and I have time for many more celebration dinners”  
‘Great, okay Lily shall we?” Benedict put out his arm to Lily to escort her out of the building.   
Daniel watched them go and was surprised and how disappointed he was feeling right then. For some reason he didn’t like the two of them going off together. Something just didn’t feel quite right.


	8. Cuppa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily and Ben get to know each other better over a cup of tea

Benedict took Lily’s arm in his and led her out the back door of the studio. Unfortunately, some fans were waiting there. Benedict was nice as usual and signed some autographs for them but they also wanted Lily’s autograph. She still wasn’t used to being asked to sign things and was always surprised when someone asked. A few of the fans also commented on how good the two of them had been on the Tonight Show. They commented on the fact that they had definite chemistry. Benedict said how easy it was to have chemistry with Lily because she was so charming and Lily once again blushed beet red. She thanked him for the compliment and said the same about him.

They finished up the autographs and Benedict took Lily’s hand ushering her towards the Café door.   
“Sorry to rush you my dear but I know from experience that if we don’t move fast there will be more people coming and more things to sign and we won’t get away.”  
“That’s fine I understand completely. Shall we take a booth way in the back?” she asked  
“You were reading my mind” he answered.

They sat down and Lily ordered a cup of peppermint tea while Benedict ordered his Earl Grey and a mixed plate of pastries “Are you always a tea girl?” he asked  
“No normally I am more of a coffee girl but I have already had too much coffee so I thought I would switch. I enjoy the soothing taste of the peppermint” she said.  
“I guess growing up in London tea was really the only option while here I see coffee is more the norm.”  
“It’s funny because my Mom and her family were big tea drinkers as were my grandmother on my dad’s side and all her sisters. I started with coffee in university and that’s what I stayed with”   
“I’ll have to work to see if I can convert you” he grinned.  
“You are welcome to try” she said. He thinks he is going to be around me long enough to convert me? Hmm, wonder what that means? Her mind was getting ahead of herself though; she had to concentrate on what he was saying and not day dream. 

“So Lily, tell me all about you: Mom, Dad, siblings, husband, boyfriend, children?” he threw in the husband question trying to make it seem innocent enough. 

“Well, I have a Mom and a Dad, and a sibling but none of the other things you asked about. My Mom and Dad live near me and I have one younger brother who lives in another province. I did have a husband once, but that didn’t work out. And as much as I wanted children, that didn’t work out either. How about you?” she asked, knowing the answer but wanting to give him a chance to tell her himself. 

“Well unfortunately you can learn just about everything you want to know about me online. My Mum and Dad are both actors as you know, I have one step sister who is much older than I am and no husbands or boyfriends” he grinned.

“Well I’m glad about the husband thing, not that there is anything wrong with that” she quickly covered up. I just meant I am glad there is no one lurking around the corner jealous that we are having tea together.”

“Yes me too although in your case I believe someone may be jealous” he added.  
“Who would be jealous over me?” she questioned.  
“Daniel maybe?” he asked.  
“Daniel? No I am just a client to him nothing more. We have become friends since joining forces to make my book a success but that’s all” she replied.  
“I don’t know Lily, I saw the look of disappointment on his face when he found out we were coming to have tea.”  
“Oh I don’t think that was because of you, it’s just that Daniel doesn’t like last minute changes to his plans. I am sure that’s all you were seeing”. Daniel being jealous of me and Benedict? That would be silly. Firstly there has never been any sign of anything between the 2 of us and secondly he know how much it means to me to spend time with Benedict. No I think Benedict was just seeing things.

“So if you aren’t married with kids, where did the idea come from for your book?” he asked  
‘Well I was married and some of the things in my book were pulled from my marriage. The part about the children is from my imagination. I don’t know if little boys are the same as little girls, but as a little girl I always dreamed of what having my family would be like. I also always knew what kind of mother I wanted to be from my relationship with my own mother and so even if it didn’t happen for me, I had already thought about it enough that I could use that for the basis of my book.”

“I can certainly understand that. My father was a fantastic father and I know exactly the kind of father I want to be someday. I too dreamed of having my own family. Because I was an only child, I had time to think about what it would be like to be a dad but unfortunately so far it hasn’t happened for me.” 

Sadness crept into his eyes as he revealed this to her. She could see how painful it was for him to think about. She reached out her hand and placed it over one of his. “It’s not too late for you Benedict. I am sure someday you will have your family” she said and then removed her hand as she realized what she had done.

‘Thank you” he replied. “And what about you? Is that something you still want?”  
‘Want? Yes. But realistically I think that ship has sailed for me. I am no longer a young woman with her whole life ahead of her and one of the reasons my husband and I split up was because we weren’t able to have children. The doctors told me it would be nearly impossible for me to ever conceive so eventually we stopped trying and drifted apart”  
Tears started to well up in her eyes as she spoke. Benedict reached out his hand and gently tried to brush the tears off of her face.

“I’m so sorry Lily. I didn’t mean to pry or to bring up bad memories for you” he said. 

“It’s okay” she said, pulling back slightly from him. She didn’t know why but as nice as it felt to have his hand on her cheek, she didn’t want to get any closer to him knowing it would be a fleeting moment. She wasn’t looking for something casual and she knew that’s all he would want. “It doesn’t always bother me but sometimes I get a little misty thinking about it. I don’t normally open up like this but you are very easy to talk to”

“I feel the same. Too bad we don’t have more time together. I think we could be good friends Ms. Lily Waters,” he said.

“Yes I believe we could be Mr. Benedict Cumberbatch” she responded as formally as he had. “But then I would have to risk the jealous wrath of all your Cumberbabes!” 

They both laughed at the thought of this as they finished up their tea and sweets.


	9. Cassie and Veronique

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get introduced to Lily's friends

Soon after Lily and Benedict parted ways. They traded phone numbers but after a day or two, they were so busy with their careers that the texting just stopped. Lily and Daniel went on to do the talk show and book signing tour Daniel had set up for her. It was a great success and Lily soon became the talk of the town. Her warm and caring attitude and her humility won over the hearts of the book world and her book rose to reach number one on the New York Times Best Sellers List. 

Even Lily herself had not expected to gain this much success. She knew her book was good but she never imagined she would be this famous. She had only dreamt about things like this, she never expected something this good would ever happen for someone like her.

Daniel knew. From the first time she stepped into his office, he knew she was special and he assumed her book would be too. He just knew she was destined to be famous which is why he had worked so hard to make it happen. She was the kind of person that you just wanted to cheer for. The person you wanted to make happy. Daniel had grown very fond of Lily. Even though she was a mature woman with a mind of her own, he always thought of her as a precious dove that needed taking care of. He assumed it was because her life had not worked out well that he felt the need to protect her but sometimes he questioned whether or not it was something more. 

Benedict had also continued on with his work. He had several movies lined up that took him all over the world. He always seemed to have two or more things on the go at one time. Although he had enjoyed his time with Lily, he didn’t have time to spend on his personal life right now. If the timing had been different perhaps their relationship would have grown but the timing was bad and although he didn’t mean to, he fell out of touch with her. Probably just as well since he wasn’t in the market to get his heart broken and he could tell she was someone who definitely had the potential to do that.

So Lily continued her journey celebrating her book. She was glad she no longer had a husband to worry about and as much as she would have loved to have children, it would have been near impossible to do everything she was required to do for her book and still be there for a family. 

As Lily spent more time away from home, she began missing some of her friends, especially her former sisters-in-law Cassie and Veronique. Cassie had been married to Sam’s brother Eric but they had now divorced and Veronique was married to Sam’s brother Gaston. Cassie, Veronique and Lily had always been close but when Lily started writing, they had become even closer. They had been there supporting her as she was writing her book and they were the first ones to encourage Lily to take things further. Cassie got so involved in Lily’s writing that she asked Lily to write a special fan fiction piece just for her staring her favorite actor Gerard Butler. They had quite a few laughs over the piece Lily had written. Even though Lily was no longer married to Sam, Cassie and Veronique had remained two of Lily’s closest friends. 

As much fun and support that Daniel was for Lily, she needed some female companionship. She decided to invite Cassie and Veronique (Vee as Lily called her) to come to New York with her on one of her book tours. They had always talked about jet setting when Lily become rich and famous and now it was a reality they never expected. They were so excited for the three of them to live out the adventure they had once only dreamed of. When Lily called to invite them she could hear Cassie squealing all the way from her house. Vee was too excited to scream and Lily had wondered if she had passed out! 

The three of them spent a lot of time planning their trip over the next couple of weeks. Everything had to perfect, just the way they had imagined it. As Lily thought about New York, her mind wandered back to the last time she had been there, the time she had been on the Tonight Show. She had put Benedict out of her mind long ago but the thought of going back to New York, made her think about him and wonder what it would be like if they were to accidentally meet up again. Oh well no sense day dreaming about what ifs. The ladies had some big plans and a lot of excitement ahead of them


	10. Surprise in NYC

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The girls explore New York

Now that Lily was a successful writer, she could afford to book the trio into a very nice hotel in the heart of NYC. From the moment they stepped off the plane at JFK, Cassie and Vee couldn’t contain their excitement. Lily had arranged for a limo to take them to the hotel. They thought they were royalty. 

New York definitely had a different air about it, different than any other city in the world. The crowds of people rushing everywhere, every kind of shop you could ever want right in front of you, and the lights of the city made it look almost magical. For 3 small town Canadian girls, this was like Dorothy landing in OZ!

They went straight to their hotel to check in. The manager recognized Lily and rushed to meet their every need. Their room was amazing. It was a large 3 bedroom suite with furniture straight out of a House and Home magazine. It had a small kitchenette, a large fridge full of treats and a fully stocked bar. The bathroom contained a large Jacuzzi tub and an exquisite marble walk in shower. Every inch of the room took their breath away.

Daniel hadn’t flown with them this time as he had another client he needed to work with. He was going to be meeting them later today and had a room booked in the same hotel across the hall from where the ladies were staying.

The first thing Cassie and Vee wanted to do was to go for a walk in Time Square. Cassie laughed when Lily mentioned it as in the story Lily had written for Cassie, she meets Gerard Butler in Time Square. Cassie said she was going to keep her eyes open for him just in case. 

They spent the day checking out all the sights and shops of Time Square. They sat and people-watched for a while when their feet needed a break. They went to the M&M store, Coca Cola store, the Toys R Us to see the Ferris wheel, and the Apple store. It was when they went to the Apple store that Lily saw some very important information. The Apple store often hosted Q&A sessions with actors who were promoting their performances in movie and TV. Posted on the door was a notice indicating that there was a Q&A session later that week and the guest speakers were the Cast from Sherlock!   
Lily could not believe her luck, was she actually going to be able to see Benedict again?

“Oh Lily, what an opportunity!” Cassie said when she read the poster.  
“Yes and we can get to meet him too!” Vee added.  
“It’s probably sold out by now” Lily said with a sad look on her face  
“Probably, but don’t forget Lily, you are a celebrity now. You can get into all kinds of events that us normal people can’t.” Cassie reminded her  
“I bet you can get as many seats and you want Lily” Vee said taking her by the arm. “Let’s go in and see”

They entered the apple store and walked up to the counter. Lily was about to ask for the manager when the girl at the counter immediately started speaking.

“Oh my god, you are Lily Waters, aren’t you?” she squealed “The Woman She was Meant to Be is one of my favorite books! I can’t believe you are here in our store.”

“Yes I am and thank you for that compliment. It means so much that you enjoyed it.” Lily responded. Cassie and Vee were standing behind her grinning, knowing this would definitely turn out in their favor. 

“Thank you Ms. Waters. What brings you into our store?” the girl asked  
“I was actually just getting into town today and noticed that the Sherlock cast if having their Q&A session here this week. Benedict is a friend of mine and I would love to be able to attend the session with my 2 friends here and my agent. Do you think there is any chance we might be able to get in?”

“Oh Ms. Waters that session has been sold out for a while, it is such a hot ticket right now. For anyone else the answer would be no, but let me check with my manager as I am sure we must be able to squeeze you in. Just give me a moment”

“Certainly, Bet-ty is it?” Lily said reading her name tag, “Take all the time you need”

Betty disappeared quickly into the back office as she didn’t want them to get tired of waiting and leave. She couldn’t believe one of her literary idols was in her store. She had to make sure to get a picture and an autograph before she left. After speaking with her manager she returned to Lily.

“Ms. Waters I am so happy to let you know that we can definitely accommodate you and your three guests for the session. If would be our pleasure to have you here. Let me just get your guests’ names on our list and then you will be all set for Thursday.”

“Thank you so much Betty. Do you happen to have your copy of my book here that I could autograph for you?” Lily asked  
“Oh no I don’t!” Betty said all disappointed “Could I get a photo with you though?”  
“Absolutely and I’ll tell you what, bring your book with you on Thursday and I will sign it then. How’s that?”  
“That would be amazing Ms. Waters thank you so much.” Betty stood by Lily as Vee snapped their picture on Betty’s camera.   
As they headed out the door, Lily called back “Don’t forget your book for Thursday”  
“Don’t worry, I couldn’t possibly forget!” Betty replied.


	11. Ben's Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The ladies and Daniel attend the Q&A

Lily didn’t want to say too much to Cassie and Vee about how excited she was to be able to see Benedict again, but then she didn’t really need to. They knew the book was written about him and they knew how fascinated she was by him, so they could easily imagine what this chance meeting would mean to her. 

Vee and Cassie were also very excited as they both loved Sherlock and couldn’t wait to go to the Q&A. They felt so privileged to know Lily and to be able to meet the cast afterwards. They both thought Martin was so funny and they loved Amanda too. 

Daniel joined them that evening for supper. It was the first time he had met Cassie or Vee and they were excited to meet the man who helped make Lily famous. That night at supper they got to get to know each other better.

“So Cassie and Vee, what do you think of Lily’s success?” Daniel asked.  
“We always loved her writing and are not surprised. We are so glad you were there to help her” Vee said  
“Yes, we think it’s great. Not the mention the perks that have allowed us to come with her this time” Cassie added  
“I think it’s great that Lily has such good friends to help her enjoy this success. Lily is a very special person” as he said this he placed his hand on top of Lily’s. This did not go unnoticed by either Cassie or Vee but Lily didn’t seem to notice anything.

“Well Daniel, none of us would be here if it weren’t for you. We are a team you and I and we work great together” Lily meant this in a platonic kind of way but the girls weren’t sure that Daniel took it that way by the huge smile on his face. They soon saw that smile disappear however with Lily’s next words.

“Daniel you’ll never guess who is going to be at the Apple store for a Q&A on Thursday?   
Daniel knew but he was hoping Lily wouldn’t find out. He still didn’t like the idea of her hanging out with Benedict.

“Can’t guess” he said, “tell me.”  
“Benedict and the Sherlock cast!” Lily exclaimed excitedly.  
“I see. Well that’s nice for their fans to be able to see them” he said not wanting to pursue that line of discussion any further.  
“Not just their fans but us too. Lily got us in to the show at the last minute” Vee said.  
“Yes the store clerk was a fan of Lily’s and got her manager to get us in” Cassie added.  
“Well that’s great” Daniel said with his mouth but his eyes were saying something very different. “We have a lot of engagements Lily; will you really have time to go?”  
“Yes Daniel. Don’t worry I checked our schedule and I have lots of time that day. Besides it will be nice to see Benedict again.”  
“I am sure he will be happy to see you” Daniel replied and then he quickly changed the subject to her next signing engagement.

The next couple of days were spent visiting the Empire State building, the Statue of Liberty and Rockefeller Centre. Given Lily’s celebrity status, they got a special guided tour of the NBC studios where they managed to see the sets of some of their favorite shows. Of course they also did some shopping at Saks and Macys and some of the other boutiques Manhattan is known for. They also had planned to see the Phantom of the Opera on Fri night as they had never seen a Broadway show before. Cassie and Vee had to do some sightseeing on their own as Daniel and Lily had book obligations to meet.

Soon enough Thursday was here and it was time to head to the Apple store. The manager had suggested that they go around to the back of the store so that Lily would be able to enter in comfort without so many of her own fans surrounding her. Cassie thought it was such fun to be escorted into a private area at the back of the store just as if they were the ones doing the Q&A instead of the Sherlock team. They were shown to special seats located at the front of the stage but off to the side a bit. As they took their seats, the lights were dimmed slightly and the crowd burst out in applause as the actors and writers took their seats on the stage. Vee was excited to see the writer Steven Moffat there as he also wrote for Doctor Who and she was a big fan of Doctor Who. She was hoping he might leak out some Doctor Who news as well.

Lily knew from her own limited experience on a stage that the actors would have a hard time seeing out into the crowd. She hadn’t texted Benedict to tell him she would be there as she wanted it to be a surprise. She wanted to get an honest reaction from him, not one that was rehearsed. She had made a plan with the moderator to surprise Benedict later on in the session. 

Benedict did receive the majority of the questions, but Martin and Amanda got their share as did Mark and Louise. Lily loved Louise’s performance on the series as she was the everyday girl pining after Sherlock and that’s why she was so special. Lily could relate to her wanting something so badly that she would never have. Every woman has experienced that at least once in a lifetime.

When the event was almost over, Lily decided it was time to activate her surprise. She nodded to the moderator and when Martin finished answering the current question the moderator took the mic and said “We have someone here who would like to ask a special question for Benedict” He walked over with a mic to where Lily was sitting as Benedict leaned forward in his seat to try to see who was going to be asking the question. The moderator purposely blocked Lily from Benedict’s view as she started to ask her question and then moved aside to reveal her identity. 

Benedict could only hear her voice saying “What does a lady have to do to get a second cuppa with you Mr. Cumberbatch?” As the moderator moved out of the way, Benedict’s puzzled face turned into a huge grin as Lily came into sight.

“All she needs to do is show up in Manhattan once a year and it can always be arranged, especially if it’s her treat!” he answered 

“I think she could manage that” Lily said smiling back.

“Ladies and Gentlemen” Benedict began, “Our surprise guest is none other than the best- selling author Lily Waters, the same person who promised to help my mother find me a ‘bird’ after our Tonight Show appearance. Where is that Bird anyway Lily?” 

“It’s kind of hard to catch a Bird when you are flying around faster than they are” she grinned and then she sat back in her seat as the audience laughed and cheered for them.

Cassie and Vee were beside themselves listening to the exchange between Benedict and Lily. How at ease and flirty she sounded and the smile on his face when he saw her spoke volumes. 

“Well I believe that concludes our Q&A for this afternoon” the moderator finished up. “Thank you to the Sherlock team for coming to see us this afternoon and thank you all for coming to see the session. Have a great rest of your day” The audience then all stood up and cheered loudly as Benedict and gang stood up to receive their applause and make their way off of the stage. 

As soon as Benedict stepped down from the stage he went over to where Lily, Cassie and Vee were standing. As he reached Lily he put his arms around her and gave her a big hug.


	12. Secret's out?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily finds out her secret has been discovered by someone

Lily’s body was instantly set on fire from the feel of Benedicts arms around her. He smelled like clean linen and spice. It was an intoxicating scent, but then again he could have smelled like a wet dog and Lily would have found him intoxicating none the less. The feel of his back under her hands caused her thighs to push together as they had a mind of their own when it came to being around Benedict.

“Lily my luv, what a wonderful surprise. Why didn’t you tell me you were in town we could have met up earlier? He said as he stood back to look into her eyes. 

Those turquoise eyes of his melted into her soul as she struggled to keep it together. “I didn’t know you were here until 2 days ago and then I decided that to surprise you would be better” she answered.

“Well it certainly was a great surprise” he stepped back and turned towards Cassie and Vee and Daniel. “I see you have some friends with you”

“Yes Benedict this are my friends Cassie and Veronique and you remember Daniel? I am on a book tour again and this time I was able to bring them with me as it’s their first time to NYC.”

“Enchante, ladies” he said as he kissed each of their hands.  
“Enchante Mr. Cumberbatch” Vee said  
“We are great fans of yours” Cassie added.  
“Well if you are friends of Lily’s then you friends of mine as well so please call me Benedict. And hello again to you Daniel” he said as he extended his hand to him.  
“Hello Benedict” Daniel replied but in a very non-excited tone.

“We don’t want to push our luck but could we possible meet some of their others from your show?” Cassie asked. Cassie was always the bolder one, never missing a chance to get what she wanted. 

“Certainly Cassie. I would be happy to introduce you. You haven’t met them either have you Lily?” he asked

“No I havent Benedict but I would love to” Lily replied.  
“Right this way ladies and gentleman. The store is having a little meet and greet with some of the staff now and you should join us” he said and he led them all into the back room.

Benedict held Lily back a bit behind the others and whispered to her “I really would like to have another cuppa with you. When would be a good time?”  
“How long are you staying?’ Lily asked. “I have some free time tomorrow I think”  
“I am staying until Saturday. Tomorrow should be good. I’ll text you a time and place to meet?’   
“Sounds nice Benedict.” For some reason he thought his name always sounded better when she said it. They joined the others in the meeting room.

The store had put out some food and beverages giving everyone a chance to mingle. Benedict introduced Lily and her friends to his cast mates. Cassie and Vee were very anxious to meet them all and they managed to get some pictures with them. Lily upheld her promise to Betty and signed her copy of Lily’s book. 

Not only did Lily get to meet then all but she found out she had some fans among them as well, particularly Amanda Abbington. Amanda managed to get Lily aside to have a chat with her.

“Lily I am so glad to get to meet you. I am a true fan. I read your book all in one day as I couldn’t put it down. I had to know what happened with Danielle and Benedict” she said grinning.

“Thank you Amanda. You mean Danielle and Charlie though right?” Lily replied.

“No I don’t think I do. I know the boys are oblivious but it was very clear to me that you had Benedict in mind when you wrote Charlie’s character. I believe this was some fan fiction perhaps?” she asked. Then she quickly added “Oh don’t worry I wouldn’t tell him and I don’t think badly of you for it. As a matter of fact I think you nailed his character to a tee, Kristina”

Lily didn’t know what to say. Up until this point, only she, her sisters in law and Daniel knew for certain. Kristina was the pseudonym she had used when she posted this on the fan fiction site. She didn’t know why but something told her Amanda could be trusted and she also knew she didn’t have a good poker face so even if she didn’t admit it, Amanda would know

“Amanda, can I trust that whatever I share with you will never reach Benedict’s ears? We have become friends and I don’t want to ruin that.”

“Absolutely my dear. I would never do anything to hurt Ben and I see no benefit to telling him anything. You can trust me” 

Amanda seemed so sincere that Lily decided to take a risk. She had known someone would figure it out someday; she just didn’t think it would be Amanda.

“You are of course correct; I wrote the story as a fan fiction piece about Benedict. I had always wanted to be a writer but never found a subject I could connect to. I was watching Sherlock with a friend, and like Danielle in the book, I suddenly noticed something in him. I know many other women have too but I had never been a “Fan” of anyone before, it was just not in my nature. Anyway I started to write about my feelings just to get them out of my head and the next thing I knew I had 10,000 words written. I decided to make it a full blown story then and I posted it online to see what kind of a response I would get. I never expected it to grow into this mega seller and of course I had to remove Benedict’s persona from the story so as not to invoke a legal battle or to piss him off. How did you ever know I was Kristina?”

“I was right!” Amanda said. “Charlie’s character reminded me so much of Ben that I had to check the website to see if a similar story existed. I found your initial story ‘One Plus One Changes Everything’ and I knew I had to be right”

“I think you must have been channeling Mary Watson by the detective skills you were using” Lily smiled as she needed to find the good in this or else she might break down knowing her secret could be exposed.

“Well my darling, what now?” Amanda asked. “You have your book and now it seems you have also caught Ben’s fancy”

“I don’t know about that” Lily replied, “Benedict and I are just friends. We met on the Tonight Show and hit it off. He has no idea the feelings I once held for him and I don’t want him to know. He will think that I am some stalker!”

“Once held for him?” Amanda questioned “I think you still have those feelings darling. I see the way you look at him and I also see how he looks at you. I think you are fooling yourself if you think this is just a friendship”

“Come on Amanda, you know as well as I do that neither of us has time in our lives for a relationship and I know if we tried to have something casual that it would not work. I know I would want more and I can’t risk getting my heart broken nor do I want to risk doing that to him. No, being friends is the best thing we can do for each other.”

“Suit yourself dear but when the time comes, I will make sure to tell you that I told you so!”

“I can handle that.” Lily said and then added “We need to rejoin the others before they start asking questions” Amanda agreed and they went to find Cassie and Vee. One person though had not missed their discussion. Daniel had been watching them and although he couldn’t hear their words, he had an idea of what they were saying from their actions and he didn’t like what he thought he saw.


	13. What was that About?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daniel asks Lily questions she wasnt planning to answer

The girls loved their afternoon at the Apple Store. Cassie couldn’t get over their good fortune at being able to meet and hang out with celebrities.  
“Lily I think I could really get used to this life style. Do you need a personal assistant to travel with you everywhere?” she asked grinning  
“And perhaps a cook to travel with you to ensure you and Daniel are eating properly?” Vee added.

“Thanks for the offers ladies but if I had the two of you with me all the time, I would never get any work done. Plus your husband would probably want to shoot me!” Lily replied looking at Vee.

“That’s probably true but we would have a whole lot of fun while it lasted wouldn’t we!” Cassie said.

“You can say that again” Vee said.

“Speaking of work,” Daniel said, “Lily I need time with you to go over some work stuff. Perhaps you ladies would like to use the hotel spa while we work and then we can all go out for a nice supper?” 

“That sounds amazing” Vee said  
“Don’t have to ask me twice” Cassie added. So off they went to the spa leaving Daniel and Lily to work.

Daniel waited until they were settled in with their laptops open and ready to work when he took the opportunity to ask Lily about the events earlier in the day.

“So Lily, I noticed you and Amanda Abbington having an interesting looking discussion. What was that all about?” he asked.

“Oh that” Lily paused wondering if she should tell him the cat was out of the bag. She decided it couldn’t hurt. “Amanda confronted me on my Charlie character. She figured out he is based off of Benedict”

“How did she ever figure out that? We were so careful to remove things that were specific to him only.”  
“Well she knows Benedict and she also knows fan fiction when she sees it. She played detective and went searching for my original story. When she read it she figured out I had written about him.”  
“Did she say anything to anyone?” he asked  
“She told me she hadn’t told him, but I don’t know about Martin. I am guessing he probably knows since I think they probably share everything”  
“So what was her reaction?”  
“She told me she really liked it and that the other reason she knew it was based on Benedict was because I nailed his personality traits. She couldn’t believe I had never met him before I wrote it”  
“Well you definitely write a good story my dear.”  
“Thank you Daniel.”

“Did she say anything else? You looked a little disturbed by something she said”

She hesitated again for a moment before telling him. “She asked me what now since it was clear that I had feelings for Ben and I had ‘caught his fancy’ was the way she put it.”

“Why would she think that? Did Ben say something to her?” His face looked a little worried now as much as he was trying to hide his disappointment.

“She said she saw the way we looked at each other. The way Benedict reacted to my surprise. I told her I had Fan feelings for him when I wrote the story but that now we were just friends. That we couldn’t be more than that because our lives were too busy to commit to anything real and I didn’t want a casual relationship with him as I knew I couldn’t keep it casual.”

“And did she leave it at that?”

“Yes but she told me she reserved the right to say ‘I told you so’ when that changed. I told her I could live with that as it wasn’t going to change.”

“Well that’s good. You don’t want to get mixed up with his type” Daniel said.  
“Oh and what type is that Daniel?” Lily asked  
“The playboy type. He has a million women swooning all over him and no time to settle down. I am sure you would be nothing but a fling to him”  
“Daniel, I know many movie stars are like that but Benedict is different. If I had a career that wasn’t so demanding, I would be willing to give it a try as I think he could be special. But no sense thinking about that as friends are all we are and friends are all we will ever be. Now can we move onto the business you needed to discuss with me?”  
“Of course Lily. Sorry I asked” and he then went on to talk about the next couple of events on their schedule.

Cassie and Vee had a great time in the spa getting manicures and pedicures and relaxing in the mineral pool. When they got back to their room, Daniel and Lily had finished work and were making dinner plans. Each of them had purchased new evening dresses to wear out for supper so they spent the next hour doing hair and makeup getting ready for their evening out. 

Daniel said he would be a very lucky man to be able to escort three such beautiful women to supper. He had put on a nice suit and he looked ever so much like prince charming. All three of his escorts whistled at him to show their approval of his attire and then Lily let Cassie and Vee take his arms as they headed out to supper.


	14. Ordinary Supper?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daniel and the girls go to supper and encounter a surprise

Daniel had booked them supper at one of the finest restaurants in Manhattan—11 Madison Park. The waiting lists were extremely long for this restaurant but Daniel knew the chef Daniel Humm. The 2 Daniels had met a few years before and enjoyed some of the same interests. Whenever Daniel was in town he was given the royal treatment at the restaurant. 

Lily felt out of place here, even if she was now getting used to high end restaurants, as this one was rated #2 in all of NYC. The clientele were extremely high polished and had their best snooty faces on. Cassie and Vee were floored to be in such an environment.

“I’m afraid to pick up a fork” Cassie said “that someone might come up and ask me to leave because it’s not the right one!”  
“Yes and I feel like I should bow to the wait staff as they are very intimidating” Vee said.  
“Don’t worry ladies, we are the clients, they need to make us happy’ Daniel reminded them.

Cassie caught herself looking at Daniel several times throughout the evening. He was a very handsome man and she couldn’t help but wonder what he would be like on a real date. Cassie also noticed though that he seemed to only have eyes for Lily. He was so intent on her every word that it was obvious to Cassie that Daniel was in love with Lily.   
Lily on the other hand seemed very oblivious to Daniel’s attentions and it was clear that she didn’t feel the same. Cassie thought that was too bad as Daniel was very nice and he and Lily would make a good match. She would have to talk to Lily about him when they got a minute alone.

The meal that Chef Dan had prepared for them was extraordinary. The beef wellington was to die for and the roasted potatoes and vegetable mash hit all the right spots in their taste buds.

In honor of their visit, Chef had also prepared a special dessert with caramel, chocolate and strawberries in a special whiskey cake. Dessert was Lily’s favourite and to watch her enjoy it made her and the others laugh. It was this laughter that caught the attention of one of the other diners who was sitting in the back of the restaurant. As soon as he heard it, he knew it had to be her. He asked the waiter if he would ask Ms. Waters if she could possibly come see one of her fans at the back table. If she protested he was to play on her sympathy and tell her how much it would mean to the person and that they were not able to come to her table to meet her.

So Jean-Pierre went to Lily’s table. “Excuse me Mademoiselle Lily but you have a huge admirer who it sitting at the back table. They are unable to come see you and asked if you could possibly drop by their table so they would tell you how much they like your work.”

“Seems a little odd Lily” Daniel said. “Who is the person JP?”  
“They did not tell me their name but they seemed pretty harmless”. Even though JP knew exactly who the people were at the table he wasn’t lying when he said they didn’t tell him their names because he already knew them.

“Lily I have to go to the washroom,” Cassie said, “I can go with you. It could be fun!”  
“Ok JP tell them I will be there in a moment”  
As JP left she looked at the others and she stood up. “Ok Cassie lets go see who this mystery fan is” 

They headed towards the direction that JP had gone hoping they would recognize who the person was when they got to their table. As Lily neared the back of the restaurant she knew immediately what table it was that asked for her as she could see those cheekbones from a mile away! 

“I should have known it would be you!” she said as Benedict got up and reached to give her a hug.   
“Well I couldn’t risk causing a commotion in the middle of the restaurant so this was the best I could come up with.”  
“How did you know I was here?” she asked.  
“I could hear your charming laugh all the way back here.”  
She blushed when she heard what he had said. She certainly hadn’t meant to make a scene.”  
“Don’t worry luv” Benedict’s dinner companion said, “We all thought it was cute!”  
Lily then looked over and realized that Benedict was sitting with Gerard Butler and another man that Lily didn’t recognize. She quickly looked back at Cassie to see if she had realized who was there and if she was still breathing!

Cassie was far enough behind she couldn’t see until Benedict reached behind Lily to give Cassie a hug. “Cassie so nice to see you again” he said  
“Nice to see you too Benedict” Cassie said then she gasped when she saw who was sitting next to him.   
“Are you okay Cassie?” Benedict asked.   
“Yeeesss” she managed to get out as she tried to recover from the shock of seeing Gerard Butler right in front of her looking more gorgeous than she had imagined. “Just lost my footing for a minute” she said.

Gerard spoke up then. “So I assume this is the Lily you have been telling us all about Benedict” he said extending his hand out to Lily.   
“Hello Mr. Butler,” Lily said, “we are big fans of yours”   
“Gerry, my darling, and who would this beautiful ‘we’ be?” he asked looking at Cassie.  
“Gerry this is my friend Cassie” she said as Cassie stepped forward to shake Gerry’s hand. Cassie wasn’t a fainter thank goodness because if there ever was a time she wanted to faint it was now. Her hand looked so little in comparison to Gerard’s large one. His hand was much softer than she expected and very gentle.  
“Nice to meet you Cassie. Will you ladies be sitting down with us for an after dinner drink?” he asked  
“We would love to” Cassie said. But Lily spoke up and said, “But we have 2 other dinner companions we can’t forget”  
“Bring them here Luv” Benedict said, “Our table is big enough to add the four of you.”  
“I’ll go get the others then” Cassie said “if you sure you don’t mind?”  
“We would love it darling” Gerry said in his native Scottish brogue. Hearing his silky voice almost brought Cassie to her knees.  
As they all returned to the table Lily sat in beside Benedict and Daniel made sure he was on her other side. Cassie was on Daniel’s left and Gerard’s right and Vee was sitting between Gerard and Benedict’s other dinner companion. 

“Ladies and Daniel let me introduce you to a producer friend of mine, Jacob Fisher. Gerard and I are here tonight to talk to Jacob about an upcoming project of his.”

“Oh that sounds interesting” Vee said.   
“Yes Jacob, tell us more about it” Lily encouraged.

“It’s a new drama set in modern day Scotland and it centres around 2 pilots who become involved in an attempt to bring down a drug ring. It based on the best-selling novel by Anna Ringer”

“Oh I love that book” Cassie said. I read it cover to cover in one sitting. She turned to Gerard, “Gerry have you signed on to be in it?” she asked.

“Actually I am trying to convince Ben and Gerry both to sign on” Jacob said.  
“Oh you guys need to do it!” Cassie pleaded “It’s an amazing book and as a movie it would be great.”

“Cassie has an amazing sense of what films will be successful” Lily said. “You should listen to her guys, she hasn’t been wrong yet”

“Well then Ben I don’t know about you but I don’t want to tempt fate. If Cassie says we should do it, then I’m in” Gerry said looking over at Cassie.

“Lily, is she really that good?’ Benedict asked.  
“I wouldn’t lie to you Benedict, she is that good”  
“Ok than Jacob, count me in to too. The ladies can’t be wrong”


	15. Movies and Dancing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daniel takes an opportunity to pitch Lilys book and Cassie gets an opportunity of her own

After an after dinner drink was had, Lily commented again on Jacob’s project.

“Your movie sounds like a great project”, Lily commented “and of course with Benedict and Gerard” it will be a sure fire success.  
“Ah now you are making us blush darling” Gerard said in his Scottish drawl and Lily could see Cassie squirm in her seat she was so turned on by him.

“So Jacob, now that you have us tapped for this project, do you have any others on your radar?” Benedict asked.

“There is nothing else right now Ben. I am always on the lookout for my next project though” Jacob said

“Ever consider a romance movie?” Daniel spoke up  
“I’ll consider any genre if the story is solid enough” Jacob said  
“Then this is a very opportune meeting” Benedict said as he was thinking the same as Daniel.  
“Yes I happen to know a best- selling romance novel that would make an excellent movie. With the right cast, it could be bigger than the Notebook” Daniel added.

“Really? Tell me more?” Jacob said  
“Ever hear of a little book called ‘The Woman She was Meant to Be’?” Daniel asked  
“Who hasn’t?” Jacob replied  
“Well you just happen to be sitting with the amazing writer who penned that book- Ms. Lily Waters” Benedict chimed in.  
Lily blushed at Benedict’s words. She still wasn’t used to the compliments.  
“Yes Jacob, we would be very interested in discussing the possibility of a movie deal with you. Will you be in town long?” she asked.

“I’m here until the end of the week.” Jacob replied “Here is my contact information” he said handing his card to Daniel “Give me a call and we will connect before I leave so we explore this idea further”

“Sound great” Daniel and Lily and Ben all chimed in at the same time causing everyone to laugh- except Daniel was a bit annoyed that Benedict was encroaching on his job.  
“Well I see you are all on the same page” Jacob laughed.

They continued to chat for a while as the gentlemen had lots of questions for Vee and Cassie. As they talked, Gerard found himself more and more drawn to Cassie. He checked her finger and there was no ring to be seen. He couldn’t believe though that a beautiful woman like Cassie wouldn’t already be taken. He wanted to ask but didn’t want to make it obvious.

“So Vee” he said turning in her direction, “tell us about your family at home, husband kids?” he asked.

“2 kids and 1 husband” she said. “Cassie, Lily and I were all sisters-in-law at one time but they got rid of their husbands so now I am the only married one” Vee wasn’t stupid, she knew Cassie was enthralled with Gerard and she wanted to make it clear to him that Cassie was available. 

“Vee, you make it sound like we killed them off!” Cassie said in mock annoyance.  
“Well then my darling how did it go down if you don’t mind me asking?” Gerry said.

“No I don’t mind, we just realized we were content but not happy and we wanted more out of life so he went one way and I went another.” Cassie explained

“Oh well, his loss is our gain then isn’t it?” Gerard said smiling. It was Cassie’s turn to blush.

‘Well ladies, I hate to break up such a nice dinner but I need to get Lily home. She has an early schedule tomorrow that she needs to be rested for” Daniel said.

“Yes I really must go, I don’t want to be zombie at my book signing or they will think I am writing a different genre of book!” she kidded.

“I have an early call as well tomorrow” Benedict said “but we are still on for a cuppa in the afternoon, right Lily” 

“Wouldn’t miss it!” she said enthusiastically as Daniel frowned at their exchange.

“That’s too bad” Gerard said, “I am still wired and not ready to turn in yet. How about you ladies?” he said to Cassie and Vee “Care to step out on the town with me?”

Vee spoke right up, “Not me Gerry, I have to head back as I am not a night owl. Cassie is though”

“How about it Cassie? Want to see if we can do some damage on a dance floor somewhere? I promise I won’t bite—unless you ask that is!” he grinned a very mischievous grin.

“Well, I am still wide awake and I do love to dance, so I guess I could manage for a little while. What about you Jacob? Will you be joining us?”

“No my dear it is the end of the road for me too, I need to go home and do some reading if I am going to entertain the idea of a very promising movie deal.” He said looking at Lily.

“Absolutely” she said.

So they all parted company as they emerged from the restaurant. Benedict and Lily exchanged goodbye hugs which perhaps lasted a little longer than they normally would. Lily certainly wasn’t going to be the first one to break away and Benedict didn’t seem eager to either. Vee, Daniel and Lily then got into their cab and back to the hotel while Benedict and Jacob made their way to Benedict’s car.

That left Cassie and Gerry alone.   
“Any idea where you would like to go luv?” he asked  
“None. I don’t know this city, so I trust your judgment” she said  
“You may come to regret that darling but for now let’s go” he said with a smirk. And they headed off in Gerry’s car


	16. oh my head

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassie wakes up to a surprise as Daniel shows his jealous side

The next morning, Lily woke bright and early as she knew she had a busy morning. She also knew she would be seeing Benedict that afternoon so that made her anxious to get the day on its way.

As Lily stepped out into the living area she saw that the door to Cassie’s room was open. When she peeked in she could see Cassie was not there and her bed was made! Oh, she must have spent the night with Gerry, Lily surmised. Good for her, Lily thought. Cassie hadn’t had much fun since she became single again and she deserved this. Lily couldn’t wait to get all the gossip.

Lily hurried to shower and dress as she knew Daniel would be knocking on the door any minute. They would go downstairs and get a little breakfast before heading off to her first appointment. She had an interview with a magazine before she did a book signing at the local Corner Bookstore.

Right on time Daniel knocked at her door. She slipped out quietly so as not to wake the others. As they go into the elevator, Lily mentioned to Daniel that Cassie had not come home last night.

“Why am I not surprised?” he said “Those Hollywood boys are always after sex, that’s all they want from woman. I am a little surprised however that Cassie would fall for that”

“Daniel what a horrible thing to say. Gerry was nothing but a gentleman as has Benedict. Besides we don’t even know what Cassie has been up to!” Lily reprimanded him. 

“They all seem like gentlemen until they get you alone didn’t you know that?” Daniel quipped. “I see the way Benedict looks at you like you are a buffet that he can’t wait to dive into to!”

“Daniel! You are exaggerating. If I didn’t know better I would think you are jealous! Benedict and I had tea together before and all he did was talk. He didn’t do one inappropriate thing.”

“Well I’m sure it won’t be that way this time. I just worry about you and don’t want you to get taken advantage of.” He replied

“I thank you for your concern Daniel but I am a grown ass woman who can look after herself. Besides maybe I think Benedict is the buffet I’ve been waiting for. Did you ever stop to think about that?”

“You can try to pretend but I know you well enough to know that’s not how you are. Suit yourself when it comes to Mr. Cumberbatch but don’t be surprised when I get to say I told you so!” Funny, Lily thought, that was the second person this week to make that statement about herself and Benedict.

“We’ll see who has the last laugh. Now let me text Cassie before we go to make sure she is okay.”

Cassie had just woken up in a very large bed in a very large bedroom in a beautiful apartment. It took her a moment to try to figure out where she was but then she remembered; she was in Gerard Butler’s apartment! Now she had to try to remember how she got there and what she did! Just as she was trying to piece it all together, Gerard came into the room wearing nothing but a towel. Oh my god! He was so beautiful. Muscles like Adonis, a face like an angel and a smile like the devil. She didn’t know what they did last night but she couldn’t help thinking she was sure it was magical!

“Good morning Beautiful!” How are you feeling?” he said   
Now that he mentioned it, she was quite dry and her head wasn’t feeling all that well either. “Not that great actually” she replied

“That’s what I figured darling. You had quite a bit to drink. Here I brought you some Gatorade and some Tylenol to help with the head and the thirst.”

“Thanks” she managed to get out and then she started to blush looking at him in his towel.  
“Don’t tell me you are shy now darling. Last night you begged me to take off the towel!”  
At that she blushed even more. “I’m so sorry Gerry, I don’t usually drink that much and I don’t normally act like that. I can tell by looking at you now though why I would ask” she grinned.

“Thank you luv but you don’t have anything to be worried about. Despite your begging, we didn’t do anything last night. You were too tipsy to remember what hotel you were staying at and since I have a large apartment I brought you here and you slept in my bed while I slept on the sofa.”

“So nothing happened, really?” she said as she looked under the covers and saw that she still had her underwear but was wearing a t-shirt that obviously was his.

“Nothing happened. I gave you one of my t-shirts and I turned my back so you could change. I was a perfect gentleman even though I certainly didn’t want to be when I saw you dressed like that” he added.

“Well thank you again and I’m sorry to cause you so much trouble.”

‘No trouble luv,” he said as he stretched out on the bed beside her. “It was quite nice to see a beautiful woman sleeping peacefully in my bed this morning. Before she could answer, he moved closer and covered her lips with his own. Cassie couldn’t think as the feel of his luscious lips on hers took away all her oxygen. She gasped quietly when he broke the kiss.

“Did I do something wrong?” he asked.  
“No Gerry, just the opposite, you did everything right” she said as she moved towards him and initiated a kiss of her own.   
“Hmmm, I like where this is going” he said. 

“Could I perhaps have a shower?” Cassie asked as she felt a little less glamorous than she had the night before. ‘I would really like to freshen up”

“Certainly luv, it’s right this way and there are plenty of towels in there; help yourself. When you come back perhaps we can continue where we left off?” he asked.  
“Maybe” she said, smiling over her shoulder at him.

As Cassie was making her way into the bathroom her phone went off indicating she had a text. It was from Lily wanting to know where she was and if she was alright. Cassie quickly texted Lily back. I’m at Gerry’s- I’m okay and nothing happened, yet. Text you later. C


	17. Plans for the Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone ends up with their own set of plans for the day

The morning went fast for Lily which suited her just fine. This meant she would get to see Benedict sooner. After her book engagements she and Daniel headed back to the hotel to relax a bit before her late lunch with Ben. 

Cassie still wasn’t home yet when she got there and Vee was getting a little concerned. Lily assured her she had heard from Cassie and she was fine. She imagined she and Gerry were having a great morning together. 

Vee had taken advantage of the pool and relaxed while everyone else had been out. She was hoping to do something that afternoon with at least one of them as she was tired of being by herself. Since Cassie wasn’t back and Lily was going out with Ben, she was disappointed thinking she would be on her own again. Lily had a great idea; Daniel and Vee both loved museums. She thought they should go touring them together then they have someone to discuss what they saw afterwards. 

“You don’t want to really babysit me do you Daniel?” Vee asked.

“Well it would be nice to see a museum and I think you would make a fine companion” he said. Inside he was thinking that at least it would give him something to do instead of just hanging around wondering what Lily and Benedict were up to.

“I believe we would have a good time as well.” Vee said

“Great it settled. Everyone has something to do this afternoon and then we can all meet up for dinner afterwards” Lily said, happy that everyone would have a good time.  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   
When Cassie got out of the shower she realized just how badly she felt. She was so disappointed because she would really have liked to see where this thing with Gerry would go.

As she got dressed and opened the door of the bathroom, Gerry took one look at her and he instantly knew how bad she was feeling.

“Oh darling you don’t look good” he said. “Do you want to lie down again?”

“Actually Gerry I think I just want to go back to my hotel and sleep. I’m so sorry. I was really wanting to pick up where we left off but I don’t think I can make that happen” her face was a pale white and she looked like she hadn’t slept in a week.

“No problem let me take you back to your hotel so you can recuperate.”  
“You don’t need to do that,” she said “I can just get a cab”  
“I’m not letting you go by yourself feeling like you do. I’ll go back with you and I’m not taking no for an answer” he said  
“Thank you” she said as she smiled weakly in his direction

And he did just that. He took Cassie back to the hotel, walked her up to her room Lily, Vee and Daniel were surprised to see Gerry at the door helping Cassie make her way in. He explained that she wasn’t feeling well and needed to rest up to get her energy back. He took her to her bed and left her with a bottle of ginger ale and some more Tylenol. He also left her his phone number that she was to call when she was feeling better as he would like to see her again before she left. She told him she would like that too. Gerry left her with a lingering kiss with promises they would see each other again when she had recovered. He told the others she would fill them in once she woke later on and then excused himself and headed back to his car.

“Well, it seems like our Cassie must have had an interesting night!” Vee said smiling.  
“Yes but what a NICE gentleman Gerry was for bringing her home. Wasn’t he Daniel?” she emphasized nice to prove her point to him regarding the conversation they had had earlier that morning.

“Yes I guess he was” Daniel had to concede. He knew when he had lost the argument.  
Anxious to get out of an uncomfortable situation, Daniel turned to Vee “How about we grab some lunch on our way to the museum Vee? I’m getting a bit hungry.”

“Sure, sounds good Daniel. So Lily what time are you meeting Ben?” she asked.

“His driver will be here for me in an hour,” she said. I still have some time to rest before then as Benedict is never on time anyway!” she laughed.

“Well enjoy your afternoon Lily” Vee said as they headed to the door  
“And protect yourself” Daniel added looking skeptical about the whole thing.  
“Don’t worry I will enjoy myself lots” she said ignoring Daniel’s remarks completely.


	18. Jealous Ben?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Benedict shows a little possessiveness towards Lily which she isnt crazy about

Lily did manage to take a small nap before she had to get ready for lunch with Benedict. She chose her outfit carefully. She didn’t want him to think she was making a fuss for him but she wanted to look nice enough to make him stare! She chose a short flowing flowery skirt with a silky navy button up blouse. She made sure to leave the top couple of buttons open so Benedict would have a clear view of her ample cleavage. If you got them why not flaunt them she thought!

Her doorbell rang right one time and she opened the door expecting to see Benedict’s driver. Instead she was greeted with a beautiful bouquet of cut flowers. When she reached out to get them, she was surprised when the “delivery man” grabbed her hand in his and then moved the flowers so he could place a kiss on the top of it. 

“Oh Benedict, you surprised me. I thought it was just a flower delivery person!” Lily squeaked.  
“I wanted to surprise you, after all you pulled quite a surprise on me yesterday” he said.  
“So we are even now then are we?” she smiled  
“For now” he said with a bit of a devilish grin in return. 

“The flowers are very lovely Benedict” she said.  
“Thank you. But why don’t you ever call me Ben like everyone else?”  
“I don’t know, somehow it doesn’t feel right” she said. “I like your full name better. Is that okay?” After all the hours spent writing One Plus One, she couldn’t think of him as Ben; to her he would always be Benedict like he had been to Danielle.

“Certainly my Luv, you can call me anything you want to, as long as you call me” he said. “Are you ready to head out for our lunch?”  
“I’m ready, let’s go”  
As they walked up the hall to the elevator, Benedict stayed slightly behind Lily which made her nervous. “Why are you back there?” she asked.  
“I was just trying to get a good look at you in that fetching outfit you are wearing” he said.  
“Thank you for the compliment but please stop doing that as it makes me nervous to have you walking behind me where I can’t see you” she said.  
“Why are you afraid I may do something like this?” he said as he reached up and grabbed her by the waist causing her to giggle.  
“Yes, that’s why” she said trying to regain her breath. His hands fit her waist like they were always meant to be there. His touch sending shivers up and down her spine.

“Ok I’ll stop if I have to” he laughed as the elevator door opened for them.

“So where is the rest of the gang today? It looked like you were all alone there?” he asked

“Vee and Daniel went to a museum, because Vee was bored being by herself. Cassie didn’t get home until this morning and is catching up on her sleep” she said grinning.

“Oh” Benedict said, “Were she and Gerry up to something last night?”   
“Not exactly sure and she wasn’t in any shape to answer questions when she got home. Her text earlier this morning said she was at his place and nothing had happened YET but he brought her home later saying she wasn’t feeling too well. He did leave his phone number though and demanded she contact him as soon as she was recovered.”

“Interesting. Well I know Gerry and I can assure you that if she was legless last night, he would not have allowed anything to happen. He would want to make sure she was fully able to participate and would remember it all!”

“Hmmm, if I spent the night with Gerard I would blimy want to remember it too!” Lily said using some English vernacular.

“You would, would you?” he said giving her a fake frown. “Got a thing for Gerard have we? And since when did you become such an expert of the Queen’s English?”

“I’m just saying that Gerry is a very virile man and any woman would want to remember being with him! As for the Queen’s English as you call it, I’ve been hanging around you too long I think” she said as she gave him a playful jab in the arm. 

“So I should make sure not to leave you alone with Gerry then. I would want him to steal my girl.”

“Your girl? Really! Sorry I didn’t realize one cup of tea and a second lunch date made me your girl?” she said looking at him in a slightly frustrated way. How dare he label her his possession when he hadn’t even tried to kiss her! Did he think she was just his fan girl he could keep waiting in the wings for a time when he was ready for her?

“I’m sorry I didn’t mean anything by it” he said as he could see he had upset her. “I just meant that we were friends first and I wouldn’t want that to go away if you developed something with Gerry.” He knew he would be instantly jealous if another man came into her life, but he also knew he wasn’t ready for a relationship with anyone so it wouldn’t be fair to make demands on her that he couldn’t reciprocate. “I enjoy our friendship” he added blushing.  
“Mr. Cumberbatch, are you blushing?” she had to call him on it, it was too funny not too. Before he could answer she added “Yes Benedict, I enjoy our friendship too and I would never want anything to jeopardize that either.”

“Good, can we now go have lunch, I’m way past peckish!” he said  
“Yes please, lead on MacDuff” she said quoting Shakespeare.  
He smiled and led her into his car and off they went.


	19. Honest Conversations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vee confronts Daniel about his feeligs for Lily while Cassie comes clean to Gerry about her fangirl moments

Vee and Daniel were having a great time at the museum. It turned out they had similar interests in art and history so they had lots to talk about. Vee did notice however that something still seemed to be bothering Daniel and she was pretty sure she knew what it was.

“Daniel, I am having fun exploring the museum with you bit I noticed you seem a bit preoccupied. Is something wrong?” she asked

Daniel tried to pull her off the scent “Wrong? No Vee nothing wrong. Sorry if I seem distracted” he said  
.  
“It wouldn’t be Lily’s date with Benedict that has you disturbed is it?” she asked  
‘No, why would you think that?” he tried to deny it

“Because every time you are around Lily and Benedict you tense up and every time you and Lily are together you can’t take your eyes off of her. Be honest Daniel, you have feelings for her that go beyond client and agent. Don’t you?”

“Don’t be silly” he protested. “Lily and I are just close friends. I do find her interesting but I am not interested in having a relationship with her. I just don’t like her hanging around that celebrity playboy as I am afraid he is going to break her heart” he said.

“You are sure that’s all it is?” she asked again  
“Sure” he said.

“Well then I don’t think you have anything to worry about Daniel. Lily is a smart woman and she can’t be easily fooled. If she does enter into a relationship with him it will be with her eyes wide open. And since you say you aren’t interested, why shouldn’t she have some fun?”

“Fun is one thing but a scandalous affair is something else. Lily doesn’t need that kind of publicity”   
“Well I think we need to let her worry about that. Anyway, let’s finish up the museum and then head back to see how everyone else’s day was”  
“Sounds good”

While Lily and Vee were out having fun, Cassie was starting to come back to life. Her head was feeling less like a basketball and the sweaters were finally coming off of her thickened tongue. Wow she remembered now why she normally never drinks that much. She was just so nervous being around Gerry that she needed the drinks to calm her nerves. She still couldn’t believe she had spent the evening and night with him. 

As she reached over to get her can of ginger ale off the nightstand she saw his phone number there and a brief note that said CALL ME. She decided if she could make it to the washroom and back without the room spinning that she would give him a call. Luckily she was successful at her bathroom attempt so she grabbed her cell phone. It was awfully quiet in the suite; she wondered where everyone else was.

The phone rang 2 times and just as she was about to hang up a lovely deep voice said “Hello Luv. Glad to see you are amongst the living!”  
‘Oh Gerry I am so sorry. Yes I seem to be better now but I so regret what I made you put up with. I was just so nervous being around you that I thought I needed the liquid courage but it backfired on me”

‘Don’t worry luv, it was nothing I couldn’t handle. And you really were funny so at least I had some enjoyment. And why would you be nervous around me?” he asked

Okay here was the moment of truth. After last night she really had nothing to lose. “Well Gerry, I have been a huge fan of yours for quite a while and it was like a dream come true for me to get to meet you, let alone go out dancing with you. So yes I was very nervous that I would say or do something stupid…which in the end I guess I did anyway”

“Ah don’t be so hard on yourself. We all do silly things at times. I am so flattered that I made that impression on you but it is I who should have been nervous being out on a date with a beautiful woman like you Cassie.”

“I am so glad you can’t see how red my face is right now!” she said and they both laughed.

‘So now that you are on the mend, I am free tonight and hoping we could try it again. Do you think you can manage dinner?’ he asked.

“I would love to have dinner with you, but could we do something a little less formal than going out? What if we get some kind of food delivered and we stay in here tonight? I know the others are planning to go out so we would have the place to ourselves. I would love to have a casual evening/” she said

“Darling you are speaking my language. Dress down casual it is. Do you like Thai food as I know a great little place near your hotel?” he asked  
“Sounds perfect. How about 730? The others should be heading out by then”  
“Excellent. See you later cupcake” he said  
“Laters Babe” she said chuckling as she hung up the call.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm trying to decide exactly where I am taking these characters. Let me know if you like the Cassie side story or if it is distracting from the main plot.


	20. Lunch date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily and Ben have their lunch date and discuss her possible movie and acting

Benedict had chosen a quaint little bistro for their late lunch date. It was an out of the way spot where he knew there would be less chance that they would be interrupted by fans.

After they ordered their food and beverages they got a chance to talk.  
“So Benedict, do you have any advice I can use to get Jacob to want to make my book into a movie?” Lily asked

“Darling I don’t think you need my advice since you have been doing so well on your own. Jacob is a great producer and he knows great stuff when he sees it. The fact that he so readily agreed to a meeting means he’s already got the hook in his mouth, you just need to snap it in hard and reel him in!” he said

“That’s nice to hear but I am so nervous. The thought of seeing my characters and my words played out on a movie screen is something I always fantasized about but never thought would ever have even a chance of becoming a reality. I have always loved the idea of being involved in the movie business but knew I would never be an actress so to me this is my way in. I so envy what you do and being part of the whole cinematic experience would be amazing”

“It’s not always exciting luv. But yes I do consider myself fortunate to have the job I have. So why do you think you could never be an actress? You are pretty enough to be on screen” he said making her blush.

“You are too generous with your compliments Benedict. I know I am nowhere near pretty enough to be an actress and I doubt I would have any talent. I did some acting in grade school and was in the background in musicals in high school, which I loved dearly. I never really explored it further than that because I was an awkward kid that no one would have paid to go see.”

“Darling you are being much too hard on yourself. Being an actor is about getting involved in a character and bringing them to life; giving them a voice. As a writer you do exactly the same thing and more because you are actually deciding on their character in the first place. I think someone with your talents could have great potential as an actor”

“I never really thought about it in that way.” Lily replied.  
“Acting is very hard work and a hard business to break into but for those with the right talent, there is always a way. If you are really interested, you should look into taking an acting class. The acting coach will be able to assess whether you have the potential or not and then you would know.”

“I guess it wouldn’t hurt, and it might even be fun if nothing else. First things first though, we need to get Jacob to make my movie!”  
“Yes that is priority number one. Now I know my Mom says your book is great but honestly, I am ashamed to say I have not had the time to read it. So if this becomes a big movie, will there be a part in it for me?” he asked looking like a little boy asking for candy.

If he only knew, she thought. “I am sure we could make that happen but perhaps it won’t be your thing. It is a romance after all and you don’t really seem to do those types of roles.”

“That’s not quite true luv, I did do Parade’s End and it had romance”  
“Okay, let me rephrase that, you don’t seem to do modern age romance stories.”  
“That I can’t really argue with that but that’s only because no one has offered me a script with a good strong character in it. Would your leading man be someone I could tap into? Would he be worthy of a Benedict Cumberbatch performance?” he laughed.

“There goes that ego of yours” she said smiling back. “Let me just say that I think my lead male character would be someone that I think you could relate to.”   
OMG could he ever relate to him! If he couldn’t than no one could. 

“Well then we better get Jacob to make that movie. Let me tell you some of his likes and dislikes as it might help you out”

The two of them spent the next hour talking about how to get her movie made and their afternoon was quickly coming to an end. Lily was so disappointed when she looked at her watch and saw what time it was.

“Oh Benedict look at the time. I can’t believe how fast the afternoon flew by” her voice was ringing with disappointment.

“I know it’s terrible. We hardly get to see each other and the time goes so fast. So when are you going to come to London and visit? I would love to show you around” he said

“I would love to say tomorrow but you know how it is. I guess I’ll have a better idea after my meeting with Jacob. Besides you are so busy even if I came you wouldn’t have time to play tourist with me”

“Don’t you worry, if you made it to London I would ensure I made time to give you a proper visit” Oh, the sound of that sent chills up her spine. When she and Benedict were talking business, she got so involved in their conversation that she would momentarily forget how sexy he was. It all came rushing back at her when his voice took on its salacious tone. 

“I like the sound of that” she countered and this time it was his turn to squirm as he watched her lick her lips when she said it.

“Well my dear, let me escort you back to your hotel” he said getting up and taking her by the hand  
“Such a gentleman you are Benedict” she said.  
“It comes natural when I’m around a true lady” he said

He slipped her arm around his and they walked the couple of blocks back to her hotel. All the way back all Lily could do was to think about how wonderful it would be to have him place his gentle hands on her body and how his mouth would taste on hers. Alas now was not the time for that. Benedict was a good friend and they were going to have to keep it that way.

Benedict was having thoughts of his own. He had slid his eyes all the way up her long legs as she had gotten up from the table. Having her arm around his sent a little jolt into his pants. He would like nothing more than to take her to a secluded area somewhere and rip her clothes off, but that wasn’t the nature of their relationship. She had never given him any indication that she felt more towards him than friendship and he wasn’t going to risk the rejection. He enjoyed her company and it was more important to him than a one night fling.

So when they reached her hotel, they hugged each other and gave a little peck on each cheek as a friendly goodbye. The fact that their kisses always lasted longer than normally should, was something that they chose to ignore. They said their goodbyes and went their separate ways. This time they promised to stay in touch.


	21. Catching Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The girls catch either up on their recent activities

Vee and Daniel arrived back at the hotel around the same time as Lily did. Benedict had just left and Lily was still in the lobby when they returned. Daniel left Vee and Lily at their room saying he was going to take a little nap before supper.

When the girls got into their room they found Cassie on the couch, looking so much better than when they left her.

“So you are going to live are you?” Vee asked  
“I guess so. For a while I wasn’t sure” she answered.  
“So you going to fill us in on what happened last night or do we have to call Gerard and ask?”  
“Well you could ask him when he comes here tonight” Cassie said slyly.  
“Tonight? Well I guess you made an impression on him even in your highly inebriated state!” Lily said.  
“Okay so give us the details” Vee pressed.

“Okay here goes. There is not really anything to tell. We went dancing and he was amazing. He moved me around the dance floor like we were on ice. The problem was I was so nervous being with him and I wanted to play it so cool, that I had a drink or two to calm my nerves. Well you guys know I hardly ever drink so those one or two drinks hit me like a ton of bricks. Apparently, I got so drunk I couldn’t remember what hotel we were staying in so Gerry being the gentleman that he is, took me to his place, put me in his bed and slept on the couch”

“Sure that’s what they all say” Vee grinned   
“No really. I woke up in his bed and he was coming out of the shower with nothing but a towel on! I assumed something happened as I was dressed in only my underwear and one of his t-shirts. He was quick to tell me that I tried to get him out of his towel many times last night, but he didn’t want to take advantage of a drunken woman. He gave me a t-shirt to put on and turned his back while I changed. He said if he was going to have his way with me that he wanted me to remember it!”

“Oh now that would have make me squirm” Lily said.  
“That it did!” Cassie added. “He lay down beside me on the bed when he said it and we started kissing. I could tell it would have easily gone further but I really needed a shower as I was still a bit out of it. By the time my shower was done, I was done. I felt terrible. One look at me and he knew I felt bad. So he brought me home with the Tylenol and the ginger ale and left me his phone number to call when I woke up.”

“And after all that he still wants to go out with you?” Vee asked  
“I know I was surprised too. When I called him though he said he had a good time and found me very funny. Who knew I was a funny drunk?” she laughed “Anyway he wanted to take me to dinner but I am still feeling worn out so I asked if we could do dinner here instead. He thought dress down casual night in sounded great. You guys are going out to dinner right?” she asked

“We were but now that we know what’s going on I think we should stay and protect your innocence. Don’t you Vee?” Lily teased.  
“Absolutely. We will be your chaperons!” she said.  
“Very funny guys. Go you have your dinner and leave me alone would you?”  
“Of course hon, we wouldn’t dream of ruining your dream date with Gerard” Lily said.

“Speaking of dates? How did you afternoon with Benedict go? And where did you go?” Cassie asked looking at Lily and then Vee.

“My afternoon was very nice. We went to a little bistro a couple of blocks from here. He actually surprised me by meeting me here. When I opened the door I thought it was a flower delivery man but it was Benedict hiding behind a bouquet.”

“Aw how sweet! Then what?” Cassie asked  
“Then we sat and talked about how I could get Jacob to agree to make my book into a movie. It was very nice. The funny part, the part that I almost choked on a couple of times, was when he asked me if there may be a part in the movie that he could play!”

Vee and Cassie burst out laughing. “OMG, what did you say to that?” Vee asked.  
“I told him I would see what I could find but that I didn’t think romance stories were his thing. I did however tell him that he probably could relate to my main character in some ways. I was all I could do not to crack up myself.”

“I can imagine” Cassie said. “Are you ever going to tell him the truth?”  
“I don’t think I can, I would be too embarrassed”  
“So, what else happened? Get to the good stuff!” Cassie said.  
“Not really any good stuff. We talked about acting and he wants me to come visit him in London”  
“That sounds good” Vee said  
“But as friends. As much as I feel electricity every time we touch, I don’t think he sees me as anything more than a friend and that’s the way I want to keep it”  
“Ah Lily, your mouth keeps saying that your eyes and your body language says something much different”  
“Doesn’t matter that’s how it has to be so that’s how it will be. Now can we find out how Vee and Daniel’s afternoon went?”  
“Vee and Daniel’s?” Cassie asked looked shocked. “What did I miss?”

“Nothing like that Cassie, get your mind out of the gutter. I am a married woman after all” Vee said. “Daniel and I both like museums so we went on a tour this afternoon while you guys were all busy. I needed something to do and Daniel was happy to go with me. We had a very nice afternoon. The museum was fantastic and it was nice to have someone there who enjoyed it as well as I did.”

“Well sounds like you too had fun while I was sleeping” Cassie commented. “So what are your plans for tonight?”

“Want to know how soon you will be getting rid of us do you?” Lily grinned.  
“Is it that obvious?” Cassie replied  
“Yes it is!” Vee chimed in.

“Dinner is at 8pm so we should be leaving here around 730. Does that work for you?” Lily asked.

“Perfect. I told Gerry to come at 730 so you may get to see him, on your way out” she said stressing the word out!

“Don’t worry Cassie we won’t ruin your evening. Well I don’t know about all of you but I could use a little relax before supper. I’m going into my room for a bit to rest. I’ll see you all later” Lily said as she headed off.


	22. Gerry Comes Over

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily has telling dream and Gerry comes for his dinner date with Cassie

Lily tried to sleep but her mind kept drifting back to her afternoon with Benedict. When she did finally fall asleep she had a dream where she was Scarlet O’Hara and he was Rhett Butler and he had her in his arms. She was protesting that they should only be friends and that things could turn out badly if they tried for anything more. Of course at that point, he looked her in the eyes and quoted the famous line ‘Frankly my darling, I don’t give a Damn’ and kissed her squarely on my mouth, long and hard. Lily was just starting to enjoy the kiss when her alarm went off waking her up from her nap. She got up, shaken slightly by the dream. All this talk from everyone was putting ideas in her subconscious. Ideas she couldn’t afford to have. She headed off to the shower to get ready for supper, trying to shake the dream from her head. 

Cassie was in her room trying to decide what the wear. She settled on the idea of dressing very casually for her evening with Gerry. She put on a nice blouse and a pair of shorts. She knew from seeing pictures of him on the internet that he enjoyed being casual so she knew he would approve of her not being overdressed. 

She was nervous about the evening but she promised herself she was only going to have one drink. She wasn’t going to make the same mistake that she had made the night before. She was getting a second chance with Gerard and she wasn’t going to blow it!

Lily, Daniel and Vee were all heading out for supper just as Gerard arrived. He had his arms full of food bags as they helped him into the room. 

“Something sure smells good!” Vee said as she grabbed one of the bags.

“It’s from one of my favorite restaurants. I hope you like it Cassie” he said almost a little insecurely. It was so cute that a big star like him would be worried about whether or not Cassie would like the dinner he brought.

“I am sure I will it smells great!” She said.

“Okay gang, let’s get out of their way and let them enjoy their food before it gets cold” Lily said.   
“Thanks Lily” Cassie said and then whispered into her friend’s ear as she was leaving “and stay out as long as you can please!”  
“I’ll do my best dear.” Lily replied.

After the door closed behind them Cassie let out a huge sigh.  
“What was that for luv?” Gerard asked.  
“I’m just glad they left without doing things to embarrass me” she said.  
“And why do you think they would do that now? They seem like good friends”   
“Because we are good friends they would like nothing more than to make me blush!” she replied.  
“I’d rather do that myself luv” he said as pulled her into his arms and gave her a lovely yet passionate kiss.  
“See?” he said as he backed up to look at Cassie with her cheeks all red.  
“That was an excellent reason to blush. I don’t mind that at all” she said.  
“Well then perhaps we should try one more” as he leaned in for another kiss. They stood there with his hands on her waist pulling her into him and her hands sliding up and down his neck and back. She opened her mouth to allow his tongue inside as she tasted him. The thrill of their tongues together made her gasp as a soft moan escaped his lips at the same time. 

She broke the kiss first and stepped back to look at him. “As much as I am enjoying this, we should probably eat the food you brought before it gets too cold” she said.

“Good idea as if we keep at this any longer, I will be past the point of no return and there won’t be any eating going on… well at least not the food anyway” he chuckled at his overtly sexual innuendo.

“You dirty boy!” she laughed pretending to be offended. 

They sat down to eat. Gerard had also brought a nice bottle of wine with supper and poured a glass for Cassie. She noticed he hadn’t poured any for himself.  
“You aren’t having any of the wine?” she asked.  
“No Luv, I don’t drink anymore” he said.  
“You don’t?” she replied looking very confused. “I thought you were drinking last night”  
“Nope, just soda. I quit drinking a few years ago as I was getting in really bad shape. I found myself in locations I didn’t have any memory of getting to and I realized I was losing control of my life. So I stopped.”

“Oh my goodness. I feel doubly bad now about how I acted last night. I don’t need this wine” she said

“No, it’s okay. I don’t mind other people drinking I just don’t do it myself. And please stop worrying about last night. I enjoyed taking care of my damsel in distress. The only hard part was keeping you out of my pants when all I wanted to do was get you out of yours” he said smiling.

Cassie was blushing again. “Well I promise tonight this one glass will be enough for me. I don’t need it and I certainly want there to be no mistake about my intentions” she said

“That’s what I like to hear” he replied as they started in on their supper.


	23. Happy Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassie and Gerard finally get to have their night together

Cassie and Gerard finished their meal and settled in on the couch to watch a movie. Gerard put his arm around Cassie as she snuggled in next to him. The movie was a romantic comedy, one neither of them had seen before. 

As Cassie’s body touched Gerard’s she was instantly lost in his smell and the warmth of his body. Every part of her was reacting to being this close to him. She could tell he was feeling the same as he saw him have to shift in this seat to get comfortable as ‘something’ kept getting larger making him squirm. 

Finally not being able to take it anymore, he turned his face down to hers and said “Cassie luv, I can’t stand being this close to you and not touching you. I can’t sit here when all I want to do is to carry you off into the bedroom.”

“Don’t let me stop you” she said as she reached up and touched his face with both her hands.

He didn’t need to be told twice. He was standing up and had her in his arms in what seemed like only a second. She squealed as he lifted her up covering her mouth with his before making his way into her bedroom. He placed her gently on the bed and lay down beside her. He took a moment to stare into her eyes as he couldn’t get over how beautiful she was. 

“You are exquisite” he said, “Are you sure you want this?”  
“More than anything I can possible think of” she replied.

He reached down and smothered her mouth with his, seeking room in her mouth for his tongue. After tasting every little corner of her mouth, he moved his lips to her cheeks and then down to her neck as she arched her head back for him. He kissed his way over to her ears and nipped softly on her earlobes, bringing out the smallest moan from her lips.

He then slid his hand down her side and along her hip wanting to feel every inch of her. His hand grazed across her stomach sending shivers down into her core. His hand was so large and warm and electrifying. Every inch of her that he touched added to the pool that was building between her legs. His hand moved up her stomach and across her breast. He could feel how hard her nipples were even through the fabric. He played with them, rolling them between his fingers as she squirmed beneath him. 

Cassie’s hands were roaming down his back, trying to feel as much of him as she could through his shirt. She whispered in his ear “Please let me take off your shirt. I need to feel your skin underneath my hands.” Her voice was so soft and sensual that he felt a shiver go through his body. He lifted himself up so she could reach the buttons on his shirt. Slowly she opened them one at a time and then smoothed her hands down his chest. His muscles were amazing and felt glorious under her fingers. Her touch caused a stir in him as she trickled her fingers them up and down his chest. 

After a couple of minutes he looked up at her and said “My turn now darling” as he started to open the buttons on her blouse. He removed it from her shoulders and then reached around behind her to unclasp her bra. As she moved to slip out of it, she could see the lust building in his eyes. They got darker the more he looked at her. He returned his hands to her chest, fondling her breasts and leaning in to nip at her nipples. As he did so her back arched in response and a loud moan escaped her mouth. 

“You like that do you?” he grinned looking up at her  
“Very much” she replied. “And I like touching you very much as well” she added as she reached down to cup the front of his pants. “I believe you may need to remove some more clothing though”

“Your wish is my command my darling” he said as he rose up from her and unbuttoned his jeans, pushing his pants and his underwear down together.  
Cassie gasped as she saw him. He was so large and so handsome it took her breath away.

“Delicious, just delicious” she said as she pulled him back down to her. She reached her hand down to stroke him as he continued to press his mouth to her lips and then again to her breasts. She could feel how hard he was and it was making her wet just thinking about what he could do to her. 

“Hmmm you can do that all night” he said as he moaned into her mouth. 

Gerard hands slowly made their way down the side of Cassie’s hips. Hooking his finger into the waistband of her shorts, he pulled them down her body as she lifted her hips to assist him. He then rubbed his hand between her legs. “God you are so wet!” he said.

“Mmmm” she moaned. “I have been thinking of nothing else but your hands on me ever since we met.”

He moved the wet fabric to the side as his fingers ran up and down her folds. Her whole body vibrated underneath his touch. He gently inserted two fingers inside of her causing a louder moan to escape from her lips. He pushed his fingers in and out, massaging her clit as he did. 

She wanted him so badly that she couldn’t control herself. The pressure of his hands and the sensation on her nub caused her to reach her peak. “Oh God Gerry” she groaned as her orgasm washed over her. 

“God that was so sexy watching you” he said as he lay beside her on the bed. 

She smiled at him and once her breathing returned to normal she said “Okay, now I want to watch you”. She pushed him onto his back and ran her hands down his chest and down to his hips. She smoothed her hands over his pelvis and inside his thighs. After hearing him moan at the feel of her massaging him, she shimmied between his legs and carefully took him into her mouth.

“Oh god” he moaned again as she took as much of him as she could into her mouth. With her hands she cupped his balls tenderly while she slid her mouth up and down him. She removed her mouth and slid her tongue underneath his scrotum licking him everywhere. Putting his balls one at a time into her mouth, she used her hand to stroke his length. He was breathing much heavier now as his hips arched in response. She licked up him like a lollipop, swirling her tongue around his tip, tasting the juices he was producing. His hands were on her head as he took in all the sensations. He was trying not to push but it was a struggle as his body responded to her.

“Mmmm you taste so good” she said as she continued to move her mouth up and down him. It wasn’t long before she could feel him surging inside and she could tell he was almost there. He pulled out of her mouth and moved her over onto her back.

“The first time I cum darling, I want to be inside of you” he said. 

He then spread her legs and positioned himself between her thighs. “I so want to taste you” he growled. Running his tongue up and down her slit he could taste her juices from earlier. “Delicious!” he said and he continued licking her. 

Suddenly Cassie’s hips arched high into the air as Gerry slid his tongue deep inside of her. “Gerry!” she groaned as he pumped in and out of her. “If you keep that up you are going to make me cum again” she said. “Please I want you inside me so bad!” she pleaded.

“Oh I love to hear you beg. Please ask me again” he said  
“I want you inside me” she hissed.  
“My pleasure” he replied.

Kneeling between her legs, he positioned himself at her entrance, and rubbed himself along her slit. “Don’t be a tease!” she said. No sooner were the words out of her mouth when he pushed himself inside. He knew he was bigger than many men so he waited a moment to ensure she was adjusted to his size. She moved her body underneath him as a sign she was ready.

Slowly he moved in and out of her. The feeling was exquisite for both of them.  
“God you are so tight” he said  
“That’s because you are so large my dear” she said as she moved against him in rhythm with his thrusts.

The slowness of his moves quickly caused their excitement to build. Soon her body needed more as she growled at him “Harder Gerry. I can’t stand it. Fuck me hard please!”

He pulled almost all the way out and then slammed into her with such force he needed to hold her hips to keep her in place. “That’s it” she said, “again, again!”

He continued to thrust into her fast and hard as she continued to urge him on. She could feel the pressure building inside of her. “Come on darling, cum for me. I want to see you come apart again!” he said.

“Don’t stop.” She said. “I’m coming, I’m commmming!” she hollered as she exploded around him.  
“Oh Cassie!” he said as he continued to thrust within her, riding out her orgasm until suddenly he reached his own. “Oh God!” he hollered as he spilled inside of her.

He collapsed on the bed next to her; both of them were trying to find some air to breath.  
“That was amazing” he said, turning and kissing her on the forehead.  
“Spectacular” she replied as she smiled at him and rubbed her hands across his chest. 

Cassie and Gerard enjoyed a nice shower together once they were able to come down from their sexual high. Cassie felt so good being in his arms, like it was the most natural place for her to be. Gerry too felt there was something about being with Cassie that seemed like it was where he was supposed to be. They were certainly sexually compatible but it was more than that, they just seemed to be a good fit for each other. Too bad it had to be short lived, but having even a brief time together was better than having no time. 

After their shower they dressed and went back to relaxing on the couch, knowing the others would be back soon. They curled into each other tightly wanting to stay together as long as they could. Gerry had to go back to London the next day for a shoot and Cassie only had one more day in New York before returning home.

“Cassie, I will miss being with you” Gerard said. “You have been a breath of fresh air”  
“Gerry I feel the same. I know this was a once in a lifetime thing, and it was amazing. I haven’t felt so connected to another person in a very long time” Cassie replied

“Will you keep in touch and let me know how you are doing?” he asked.  
“I don’t know Gerry, should we? Will it remain more special if we remember it for what it was a beautiful experience in the lives of two people who connected briefly? I’m afraid if we mix in the ordinary things of our lives, it will diminish how extraordinary this was”

“Perhaps you are right. Since we can’t be together all the time, perhaps it is better to keep this special, uncomplicated” he said.

“Agreed. Doesn’t mean I won’t think of you often and remember the feeling of your hands on my body” she said.  
“Or that I will forget how good it felt to be inside of you and hearing you call out my name” he said

Gerry leaned down and placed a soft kiss on Cassie’s lips. They continued to snuggle together, hugging and kissing until they could hear the others walking up the hall coming back from supper. They took one long look into each others eyes, knowing they had shared something special, something they would never forget.


	24. Movie or no Movie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daniel and Lily meet with Jacob to see about having the movie made.

The next day Lily and Daniel made their way to Jacob’s hotel to see if they could get him to buy into her book. After speaking with Benedict Lily felt more confident that she could win over Jacob. It would be amazing to have him buy the movie rights to her book.

Daniel felt confident as well. He was so glad that it was just he and Lily in this meeting. He was afraid that Benedict would want to come along and Daniel really didn’t want that. Lily’s book belonged to her and Daniel and Cumberbatch had no place meddling in it. 

As they approached Jacob’s room, they took one last look at each other, took a deep breath, put on their best smiles and then knocked on the door.

Jacob opened the door and led them into the sitting area of his suite. After pouring them some tea they settled in to talk business. 

“So Lily,” Jacob began, “I read your whole novel in the last couple of days. I find it important to read the entire book before making a decision as to whether it would make a good movie or not.”

“I’m glad you did. To me it is more than just a few good chapters put together with some fillers, each chapter is a special piece of the whole story.” Lily said

“I have to agree that you need to consider all the chapters in this case. I get to read a lot of romance stories as I told you before but I don’t normally purchase the rights to them as they all seem the same. I need something that is going to make it stand out otherwise it won’t be a good financial bet for me”

It was Daniel’s turn to comment. “That’s what Lily’s story is. It is unique; it has caught the attention of millions of people. Lily’s characters tear at your heart and if the right actors were chosen this will be amazing” he said. “Surely you felt that when you read it?”

“Actually what I thought was…” he paused “I thought that I would be a fool not to want to make this movie” as a small grin snuck onto this face.

“Jacob, really?” Lily squealed.   
“Of course really” he said. Lily you have an amazing talent to put these characters together as you have. There is one condition though before I purchase the rights?”  
“What’s that?” Daniel asked

“I need to ensure I have a very strong well known male lead that will make people want to come out and see it” Jacob said. “Any chance you could use your friendship with Benedict to see if he would do it?”

“Oh I don’t know” Daniel said, I don’t know if Benedict would be right for this role. I had always thought Tom Hiddleston would be a good choice for Charlie. Don’t you Lily?” he asked nudging her in the foot. There is no way he was going to have Benedict perform this role because if he knew the story that well, he would surely be able to tell she had written it about him. Keeping Benedict away from Cassie was best for all of them.

Lily coughed as she tried to speak; unsettled from the kick Daniel had given her.  
“Yes, actually I think Tom would make a better Charlie than Benedict would.”

“Well, if we can get Tom to take on the lead then I am in.” Jacob said “But you two will need to do the legwork to get him and bring him to me if you want this”

“If that’s our only obstacle, we will get it done!” Lily said as she stood up to shake Jacob’s hand. “Thank you Jacob. We’ll be in touch as soon as Tom is onboard”

“I’ll be ready when you do” he said as he reached out to shake Daniel’s hand also.

They managed to keep their composure until they were outside the hotel and then they both hollered at the same time. Shouts of joy and dancing up and down, people were looking at them like they had lost their minds, but Lily and Daniel didn’t mind as they were going to get a movie!

They reached out to give each other a congratulations hug and to Lily’s surprise, Daniel pulled her in tight as his hand caressed her hair and his face snuggled into her neck. What was he doing? She wondered. 

Daniel forgot for a moment that Lily wasn’t his. He was overwhelmed with joy and excited at the prospect of having the movie made. Here she was in his arms, soft and warm. He could smell her perfume and feel her delicate skin. Then suddenly he snapped out of his day dream as she moved uncomfortably out of the hug.

“I’m sorry Lily” he said, I just got so excited about the news. Forgive me if I made you uncomfortable.” Since she didn’t seem to warm up to the embrace as he had hoped, he tried to make it look like it was nothing,

“That’s okay Daniel. I am very excited as well. Do you think we will be able to get Tom to agree to do the movie?” she said.

“Well Benedict is one of his good friends so perhaps he could get you in the see Tom to ask?” He really didn’t want her in contact with Benedict anymore than necessary but if meant getting her book made into a movie then perhaps this one time Mr. Bumblehead might come in handy.

“I’ll call Ben as soon as we get back to the hotel” she said and they hurried off to tell the others.


	25. Can Ben Help?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily reached out to Benedict to see if he can get her in contact with Tom

Cassie and Vee were waiting anxiously for Lily and Daniel to get back. As soon as they entered the room they were all over them wanting to know what happened.

“So, did he say yes?’ Cassie asked  
“Well..” Lily started  
“I bet he did, why wouldn’t he?” Vee added  
“What he said….” Lily tried again  
“You never know Vee these guys can be really picky” Cassie answered cutting Lily off again.  
“Ladies!” Daniel shouted. “Stop talking and Lily will tell you!” he said.  
“Sorry” they both said at the same time.  
‘That’s better. Lily go ahead"

“What he said was that he would love to make the movie but in order to ensure it would be successful we needed to lock down a major name to play the lead male role. Someone who would be believable.” She said

“OMG, are you going to ask Benedict?” Cassie asked.  
“No Cassie” Lily replied. “I can’t ask Benedict because he cant know I wrote the book about him. I would be too embarrassed to be around him.”  
“Well what are you going to do when he sees the movie afterwards?”  
“I’ll deal with that when it comes” Lily said “But the movie needs to be made and I couldn’t manage if it were Ben in the role.”

“Who then?’ Vee asked  
“Daniel mentioned Tom Hiddleston. He’s every much as famous as Benedict and he could easily pull off the role”  
“Since Benedict and Tom are good friends you can ask Ben about it’ Vee said.  
“Sort of” Lily said. “I need him to make an introduction to Tom but I don’t want to tell him why, at least not until I have Tom hooked. Otherwise he will wonder why I didn’t ask him and that would be awkward.”  
“Makes sense I guess but I think as soon as he hears that Tom is doing your movie he will wonder why you didn’t ask him then” Vee said  
“Probably but again we can cross that bridge when we come to it.” 

“Let’s find out” Daniel said. “Lily you were going to call Benedict?”  
“Oh yes, Here goes nothing” she said as she took out her phone and dialled Benedict’s number.

Lily expected the call to go to voicemail but Benedict surprised her by answering on the 2nd ring. “Hello Luv” he said. “Miss me already?” The rich tones of his voice brought shivers back to her body.

“Hello Benedict. Of course I missed you but that’s not why I am calling.”  
“Oh what’s up?” he asked   
“Daniel and I talked to Jacob today?”  
“And?” he asked excitedly  
“He would like to make the movie but only on the condition that we can get Tom Hiddleston to play the lead” Well she wasn’t completely lying.  
“Tom, hmmm I see. Well I am sure Tom would do a fine job for you. He is a great actor and a good friend of mine”  
“That’s exactly why I am calling” Lily said. “I know Tom is a friend of yours and I was wondering if you could get me in touch with him so I could ask whether he would do the movie or not. Would you mind?”  
“For you Lily, of course I wouldn’t mind. I’ll call Tom right away and see if he can meet with you.”  
“Oh Benedict, thank you!” Lily gushed into the phone. “You are such a good friend”  
“My pleasure luv. You just have to promise me one thing?   
“Anything, what is it?” she asked

“Tom is a very charismatic man. If he does your movie you will need to spend a lot of time with him. You have to promise not to let him steal your heart away!” he said with a half chuckle.

“Oh Benedict I thought you were going to ask me something serious. You joker! The thought of Tom Hiddlerston and I together is so silly” she said. Then as an after thought she added “Besides a prefer an older man.”

“Hmmm, I’ll have to see what I can do about that!” he teased. “Let me give Tom a call and I will get him in touch with you”

“Perfect. Thank you Benedict. I will certainly owe you one” Lily said.  
“I like the sounds of that” he said “Bye bye luv!”  
“Goodbye Benedict”

All their eyes were on her as she hung up the phone.   
“Well?” they all asked at the same time.  
“He is going to talk to Tom and get him to call me” Lily answered.  
“Awesome” Cassie said.

“Fantastic” Daniel added. “Do you know what you want to say to him when he calls or would you prefer I talk to him?” 

“I think I can handle it Daniel. Since Ben is asking him to call me I think I should be the one to talk to him”

“Makes sense. Okay now I guess we just play the waiting game until Tom gets back to us” Daniel said.

“Yes” Lily replied, “That will be the hardest part.”


	26. Meeting Tom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tom contacts Lily and tells her whether or not he can do the movie

As the New York trip ended, Lily and Daniel and the girls made their way back home. The trip had been all they could have hoped for and more. Lily was going to get her movie deal as soon as she could talk to Tom, Cassie has spent an incredible evening with Gerard and Vee got to see the sights of New York that she had been dying to see. 

Daniel was happy also, as he managed to steer Lily away from putting Benedict in her movie but yet they were still able to get him to help. While he hadn’t gotten any closer to letting Lily know how he felt about her, they had shared a moment or two and that was good enough…for now.

It was two agonizing weeks before Tom Hiddleston contacted Lily. She thought that Benedict had either forgotten or that Tom wasn’t interested. Either way she wasn’t happy with what she thought was causing the delay. She was about to get surprised.

Lily’s phone rang and a number popped up that she didn’t recognize. Normally she would have let it go to voicemail but something told her to answer it. 

“Hello, this is Lily Waters” she said.  
“Wow your voice is as sexy as Ben told me it would be” this sensual British voice greeted her.

“Ben?” she asked  
“Yes Darling its Tom, Tom Hiddleston. Benedict contacted me and told me I had to call you. I guess I surprised you?”

“Yes you could say that,” Lily said. “But I am so glad to hear from you”  
“Lovely to talk to you too my dear. So Ben tells me that you are looking to make a movie with Jacob”  
“Yes I am. Jacob is interested in buying the movie rights to my novel and making the movie, but he had one condition- he insisted that I get you to take on the starring role” There she said it, now she would have to see how he reacted.

“Well darling, Ben did give me a heads up that that was why you wanted to talk to me. I have to tell you I am flattered but I am also on a very busy schedule as it is right now. Modern romance doesn’t really fit with what I am doing this days either” he said.

Lily felt dejected by his comments. Its not that she wasn’t expecting this kind of response, it was just that she was so hoping they could make this work. “I can understand that Mr Hiddleston,” she replied, “but I do know this movie will makes lots of money and become an instant hit and if you were to star in it, then it would be an even bigger success. Plus it would definitely put you in the spotlight as a romantic leading man. Perhaps if you were to read the book you would get a better feel for the role and then you could make your decision” she said hoping to get him to change his mind.

“Please Lily call me Tom. I have actually read your book that is why it has taken me so long to contact you. I have also already made my decision.” Lily’s heart sank as she waited for him to turn her down.

“My sisters have both read your book and they raved so about it that I had to read it for myself. I was not looking for this type of a role, and as I said I am extremely busy but…” he stopped

“But?” Lily asked her heart now in her throat.

“But, I too love your book and I would love to play Charlie. He is such a wonderful character and the emotional turmoil you put him through would be a meaty role that any actor would enjoy. So when do we start?”

“On my God Tom, you have literally taken my breath away. I was so sure you were going to say no!” Lily said

“Since your character comes so highly recommended by Ben, I took the chance to read the book. However, it was the beautiful words you have written that won me over.”

“Thank you so much” Lily said almost choking on her words she was so excited.  
“So I will get back to Jacob then and tell him you are in and we’ll go from there?” she asked.

“Yes tell Jacob to call my management team and figure out the dates etc and then we will make some movie magic!” he said. 

“I will do that. You have just made my day!”  
“My pleasure darling. And if the screenplay turns out half as good as the book then we will have a definite hit on our hands. Got to go no luv, but I look forwarding to working with you” he said  
“The pleasure will all be mine Tom. Thank you again!” Lily gushed as she hung up the phone, not quite believing what had just happened.

Lily couldn’t wait to tell Daniel the good news. She called him up right away.  
“Daniel, Daniel guess what?” she said when he answered  
“You heard from Tom Hiddleston?” he asked  
“Yes” she said still slightly out of breathe  
“And I am guessing it is good news because you sound happy and not crying?”  
“Yes it was, he said YES!” she practically screamed into the phone. “I thought he was going to say no because he kept saying how busy he was and how he really hadn’t done any romance roles and wasn’t sure it would be for him. Then he told me how he had read the book and couldn’t put it down and he wanted to do it!”

“Oh Lily that’s amazing!” Daniel responded sounding just as excited as she was. “Lily do you know what this means?” he said  
“What?” she asked  
“Lily my dear you are going to see your Danielle and Charlie on the big screen!”   
“Oh my God Daniel, I think I may pass out” she said into the phone.  
“Lily don’t do that. Let me come right over and we can celebrate”  
“Don’t take too long” she said, “I’m not sure how long I can last”


	27. California bound

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily, Daniel and Cassie head to Cailfornia to work on the screenplay and be part of the casting.

As soon as Lily got off the phone with Daniel, she called Cassie and Vee and told them that Tom had said yes. They were ecstatic for her. And they couldn’t believe she just had a conversation with Tom Hiddleston like she was talking to her neighbour. Lily said she didn’t have time to be star struck because she was too busy trying to get him to say yes. There would be lots of time for fangirling later on.

When Daniel arrived, they decided they would call Jacob together. Daniel dialled him up and asked his assistant if they could be put through as it was urgent. Next thing they knew Jacob was on the phone. “Hello Daniel and Lily, I have been waiting to hear from you. Do you have good news?” he asked

“We think so” Daniel said “Lily has spoken with Tom Hiddleston”  
“Really?”Jacob asked surprised. “He is a really hard person to reach I am impressed”  
“Well I believe Benedict’s influence had a lot to do with it.” Lily said.   
“And?” Jacob asked  
“And he said he would love to do it!” Lily exclaimed. “He told me to have your people call his agent and make the arrangements”  
“That’s perfect. Now I have to get some backers but as soon as they hear #1 best seller and Tom Hiddleston, I don’t see that I should have any problems. Daniel and Lily, I will get back to you with a date for us to meet to iron out all the details, but it looks like we are going to make a movie together” he said.

“Fantastic” Daniel replied.   
“We will be waiting to hear from you” Lily added. “Thank you Jacob”  
“No thank you Lily. Unless my instincts are wrong, and they so rarely are, I think you and I are going to make a lot of money off of your beautiful words. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can”

As Daniel hung up, Lily let out the largest “Yahoo” she had ever hollered.

Weeks passed and then Lily received the call from Jacob telling her and Daniel to meet him in California to set up their contract. He has gotten backers and a great director and once the contract was signed they would start to work on the screenplay. Lily didn’t know enough about screen plays to write it herself so she would be partnered with a very brilliant screenwriter who would work with her to transform her novel into a movie script. 

Lily decided she needed an assistant to help her out as she and Daniel couldn’t take care of all the things she needed. He needed to concentrate on her publicity and she needed to focus on the script. Since Lily knew she needed someone she could trust and someone who was very organized, she asked Cassie if she would like to work as her assistant. Cassie eagerly agreed. This meant she would get to do more travelling with Lily and have more adventures, of course she was in. Lily was sorry she couldn’t bring Vee along too but Vee had a family to look after and couldn’t just leave at the drop of a hat. 

So with promises of lots of emails, texts and Skyping, Cassie, Lily and Daniel headed off the California to start building the movie, HER movie!

The next couple of months were very long and filled with lots of hard work. Lily worked 18hr days trying to get the script written as Daniel worked on the contract with Jacob. He had to make sure his girl Lily was well taken care of in the contract and that she had final approval on the script. This was her baby after all and he wasn’t about to let her lose control over it like so many writers did.

They did manage to get out and enjoy some sun every now and then. Cassie and Lily spent some time at the beach as they missed the beaches at home. They weren’t missing the winter snow but the summer beaches were amazing in their hometown and being by the water made them feel less homesick. 

In order to help her work on the screenplay, Jacob though it might be good for Lily to take some acting lessons so she would understand better what things went into a great screenplay and how the technical direction for a script differed so much from a novel. Since Lily and Benedict had discussed just this very thing the year before, Lily was excited to take the class and looked forward to learning all she could. She found that while she wasn’t the most natural actor (because she was so self-conscious), that she really enjoyed acting and she did okay. She would never win an Oscar, but she could probably handle a small role in a show or movie and would do okay. Most importantly she now knew what the screenplay needed so Jacob's instinct had been right.

Finally the contract was all taken care of, the script was complete and the actors had been chosen all accept for casting who would play Danielle. Danielle was the star of the movie and she was a very strong character. While the person had to be a good actress to capture the emotions of Danielle, it wouldn’t work if she was a well-known actress as Danielle was supposed to be an average working mother and housewife. A fancy well-known actress would just not be as believable in that role. It had to be someone who wasn’t model beautiful either or again the character wouldn’t be believable. 

Finding the right person was taking forever. So many people came and went but their character just wasn’t right. Tom had joined them for the casting calls as they wanted to see how the actresses would do next to him. The chemistry had to be spot on between them. Danielle and Charlie have a chemistry that was unmistakeable so Tom and whoever was chosen to play Danielle needed this chemistry as well.

After what seemed like hundreds of actresses coming through the studio, the right one finally appeared. Clarie Forlani was a beautiful actress. She was accomplished enough to know what she was doing, yet her name was not a household name that people instantly recognized. When Lily saw her auditioning with Tom she knew right away she was the one to play Danielle. Tom agreed as he said he could feel the chemistry between them as soon as they started the read through. So they finally found their Danielle and everyone was now excited to move onto production.


	28. London

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First day of shooting for Lily's movie

Given that the majority of Lily’s book takes place in London, the movie was going to be mostly filmed there. This meant everyone had to move to London for at least 4 months to get that part of the filming complete. 

Lily was ecstatic to be spending that much time in London. She had always wanted to go there but never had the chance. And the fact that it was Tom and Benedict’s home made it even more special. She couldn’t do all the work she needed to by herself so Cassie had to come with her. Cassie was just as thrilled as Lily to be going to London. She had made a list of all the things she wanted to do and see when they had some free time. 

As soon as their shooting schedule was completed Cassie let Jacob’s team make the arrangements on where everyone would be staying. Even though Tom had a home in London, he always had a hotel room as well for nights when they were working later or needed to be on set extra early. On his days off he would spend his time at home. Seeing that Tom was a good friend of Benedict’s, he texted Ben their schedule so he could see if he had time in his schedule to connect with them while they were London. Tom didn’t tell Lily though as Ben has asked him to keep it a secret.

Lily woke up on the first day of filming even earlier than she needed to. She couldn’t sleep as she was too excited to be on a real movie set for the first time. Today was going to be a light day on set; first days usually are, so Lily didn’t need Cassie with her. She told Cassie she would have her come with her on day 2 as she knew Cassie was as excited as she was to be on the set.

She got on set early and dropped by the makeup trailer to see who was there. Tom and Claire were already getting their makeup and hair done. Both of them were sipping on their morning tea whenever they could sneak in a sip.

“Good morning Lily” Tom greeted her. “Nervous about the first day?” he asked.  
“Completely” she replied. “I don’t know how you two can be so calm when you are the ones who are going to be doing all the work”   
“Remember Luv this isn’t our first movie. Trust me I know I get nervous before I take on a character the first time but it gets easier the more roles you have. Isn’t that right Claire?” he asked

“Oh yes, absolutely” she agreed. “I will say though that having you here does make me a little nervous because I want to ensure I do justice to your Danielle.”

“Oh Claire I am sure you will be fine. Besides, you are falling in love with Mr. Tom here. That can’t be too hard to pull off” she said smirking at Tom.

“Well that’s true” Claire agreed.

“Stop it ladies you are making me blush and that will ruin my makeup” Tom said grinning. “So Lily, I have to ask…why me and not Ben in this role? I know what good friends you are.” 

“Jacob mentioned that he thought of you in the role, and we agreed. Benedict would have been good too, but I think you will be a perfect Charlie”

“Well thank you” he said. “Now I do feel the pressure” he grinned again in mock nervousness. He knew that wasn’t the real reason but he didn’t pressure her since they weren’t alone.

“Well I will get out of your hair…literally…and see you both on set.” 

“See you Lily and don’t worry, it will be great” Tom replied

Tom was right, it was great. The first day and the first week went by with great success. Tom and Claire did make a good pair. Jon was their director and he knew how to bring out the best in the actors. Claire was good as Danielle, maybe not as good as Lily or Jon would have liked, but she was good with Tom and that was what counted. Lily couldn’t have been happier but unfortunately, that was about to change.


	29. OMG Tom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Filming takes a turn for the worst for Tom

Lily should have known something would go wrong, it always did when things were going really well for her. She let herself believe her fairy-tale was coming true without keeping an eye out for the tragedy that would befall her. 

It was in the middle of the second weeks filming. They were shooting the scene where Charlie gets out of the driver’s seat of the limousine and comes around to surprise Danielle and the kids. As Tom was heading around the car, something horrible happened, his feet slid out from underneath of him and he banged his long leg against the car tire. He hit it at such an angle that it brought about severe and sudden pain.

Lily and Jon and the medical crew all raced over to Tom who was screeching from the damage of the fall. The doctor on set checked quickly, gave Tom something for the pain and called for an ambulance to take Tom to the nearest hospital. He said Tom had a break in his tibia and perhaps his fibula as well. He said it was bad enough that he thought Tom may need surgery. 

Tom’s PA Luke jumped into the ambulance with him as Lily and Daniel and Cassie piled into Daniel’s car and headed over to the hospital. They had to spend several hours in the emergency waiting area to hear about Tom’s condition. Lily was pacing back and forth as she had two thoughts on her mind: 1) Poor Tom she was worried about his condition and 2) What would they do now and Tom would not be able to continue shooting with a broken leg? 

Daniel walked over to Lily and tried to put his arms around her to comfort her but she pulled away from him. His arms felt like a prison caging her in. Daniel tried not to show the disappointment on his face, as he had really wanted to comfort her. He wanted to be there to help her in her time of need yet she refused him. 

As much as Cassie and Daniel tried to calm her down and tell her not to imagine the worst, she couldn’t help it. She needed something more. She decided there was only one person she could think of that could understand enough to be able to help her. She grabbed her cell phone and started to call. The person on the other line answered after only 1 ring.

“Lily luv how nice to hear from you. What’s did I do to deserve the pleasure of your call?” he asked. He didn’t let on that he knew from Tom that she had been in London for a couple of weeks now.

For some reason hearing his voice instantly made her feel better and at the same time caused her emotions to all bubble to the surface. “Oh Benedict, Tom accident, end of movie, terrible, hospital!” She blurt it out so fast she wasn’t making any sense.

“Lily darling get a hold of yourself. I can’t understand you.. something about Tom?” Benedict answered

She took a deep breath, “Yes, Tom was hurt on set.” She took another breath and continued “He fell and broke his leg. He is in surgery now, we don’t know how bad it is” she finally got it all out.

“What hospital Lily?” Benedict asked

“St. Michael’s” she answered.

“Stay where you are, I will be there in 10mins” and he hung up without waiting for her answer.  
Benedict could tell that Lily was a wreck, plus he too was worried about his friend Tom. He was only a little ways away from the hospital and he had his motorcycle so he knew he could make good time getting there. When he arrived at the hospital he could see the crowds of photogs at the front door so we snuck around the back entrance. He rushed up front as he saw Lily pacing across the floor.

“Benedict” she cried as she saw him coming towards her. He reached out and wrapped his arms around her, completing covering her with his body. She cried openly into his chest as she was finally able to release all of her fears with him. They stood there and held each other for a long time, allowing Lily to let out all of her emotions. It broke his heart to see her this way but he wasn’t going to let go of her for anything as she gripped him tightly not ever wanting to let go.


	30. She needed Ben

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Although Daniel tried to comfort her, it was Ben that Lily needed. Cassie needs to get tough with Daniel

When he could feel her body start to relax, he lifted her chin up so he could look at her face.  
“Lily luv, it will be alright. Have you heard anything more about Tom’s condition?” he asked

“No, we have been waiting for hours and we don’t know anything.” She sobbed.

“I’m sure he will be okay. Tom is a tough cookie; he has had accidents before and came out okay”

“I hope so Benedict. I just feel so hopeless standing here and not being able to do anything.”

Benedict then had a chance to look around the room and see who else was there. He said hello to Cassie and Daniel, and Jacob and Jon, who were all sitting around the waiting room looking like death themselves.

“Let’s sit down darling; this pacing is only wearing you out.” He led her over to an area with 2 seats and sat down with her, his arm still firmly around her shoulders helping her balance.

“Oh Ben I am so worried about Tom. You didn’t see the look of agony on his face as he lay there on the floor” she said.

“The pain was probably a shock to his body as much as anything. Don’t let your wonderful imagination get the best of you. Just cuddle into me and try to think positive thoughts” he said in his calm and soothing voice. 

Calling Benedict was the smartest thing she could have done. Sitting next to him with his arm around her was such a comfort. He was right; there was no reason to worry.

Daniel was standing off to the side, glaring at Benedict and Lily. How dare she refuse Daniel’s comforting arms acting like he was a pariah; and then jump right into his arms!   
He was pissed. All the things he had done for Lily and for her to treat him this way in front of everyone? How could she?

Cassie couldn’t help but notice Daniel’s reaction to Lily and Benedict. She felt badly for him as she could see how much Lily’s rejection of his comfort had hurt him. Daniel was a great guy, he was just trying to compete with something that he had no chance against. Lily’s feelings for Ben ran deep and Daniel wasn’t going to be able to change her mind.

Cassie went over to Daniel and tried to talk to him, but he was too agitated. She was afraid he was going to make a scene or that someone else would notice his anger.  
“Daniel, I think you need to come with me for a moment” she whispered into his ear.

“I don’t want to go anywhere” he growled back at her.

She looked him directly in the eye and did something Cassie almost never did “Daniel, I’m not asking, I am telling you. Get your butt out here in this hallway now!” she commanded.

The authority in Cassie’s voice, shocked Daniel and he moved immediately out into the other corridor.

“That’s better” she said. “Now is not the time for your jealousy to take over. Tom is the one we should be thinking about right now, not your bruised ego”

“But why Cassie? Why would she do that to me? Have I not done everything for her? Am I not a decent guy? Why would she choose to insult me like that in front of everyone?” he couldn’t understand it.

“Daniel, you are a great guy. You’re handsome, sensitive, caring and a great business man. The problem is you aren’t Benedict. You can’t win this one Daniel and you are only going to hurt yourself even more if you keep trying” 

Daniel knew Cassie was right but he couldn’t just turn off his feelings for Lily; they were too great. For today however he knew he needed to put them aside for the sake of Tom.

“Okay Cassie, just for you I will try to calm down. Thank you for talking sense to me” he said.

“You’re welcome, any time” she said smiling at him. She put her arm around and his waist and they walked back into the waiting room.


	31. Benedict to the Rescue?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Benedict jumps in to try to help out but Lily is not sure that is the helps she needs. Tom reveals a secret of his own.

After hours of waiting finally Luke came out of the emergency room and to update everyone on Tom’s condition.

“Well Guys, it is overall good news. Tom does have 2 broken bones, but the surgery went well and everything is put back together the way it should be. He will need a little physiotherapy but it should heal quickly with no lingering damage.” Everyone cheered as Luke finished.

Lily ran over and hugged Luke. Of everyone she seemed to be the most worried and affected by the situation. “Oh thank god, Luke. We were all so worried” she said.

Ben got up and gave Luke a pat on the back. “Great news! Can we go see him?’

“Just 2 people and just for 2 minutes. The doctor is very firm that he needs his rest. Ben and Lily why don’t you go?” he said.

“Thanks Luke!” Lily said as she so needed to see Tom.

She and Benedict went into the room. Tom was lying there all tied up in tubes from his surgery. He looked tired and groggy but his eyes were open.

“That’s quite the scare you gave us Mate!” Ben said looking down at Tom.  
“Kinda scared myself” Tom replied.

“Oh Tom, I feel so terrible. You look so helpless lying there” Lily said as she moved her to kiss his cheek.

“Looks worse than it is doll. Don’t worry the doctor says I will be fine in a couple of months. Guess I won’t be able to do your movie though” he said looking so disappointed.

“Don’t worry about that Tom, we will certainly miss you and Charlie won’t be the same, but the show will go on. Your health is so much more important” Lily replied.

“But where are you going to be able to find another brilliant, sexy, British actor to play Charlie?” Tom grinned looking at Benedict.

“Suppose you think you are the only one good enough do you?’ Benedict asked.  
“Well can you prove I’m not?” he teased

“Yep I sure can. Lily if you and Jacob and Jon would have me, I would love to replace Tom as your Charlie!” Benedict said.

Lily’s insides turned to knots as she tried to figure out how to answer without hurting Ben or creating suspicions. “But Ben it’s so last minute, don’t you have other work you need to do?”

“No darling actually I don’t. My next job got delayed for several months due to conflicts in schedules. This is actually perfect timing.”

“Good it’s settled then” Tom said. “I feel so much better knowing I am not leaving you in the lurch just because I can’t control my two left feet!” 

“Let me go talk to Jacob and Jon” Benedict said. ‘I’ll meet you outside in a minute Lily”

As Benedict left, Lily looked back at Tom. All she could think about was what would happen when Ben realized he was actually playing himself.

“Don’t worry Lily” Tom said as if reading her mind, “Benedict is not as intuitive as I am. He won’t figure out that Charlie is really him.”

Lily face instantly registered the shock of what Tom said. “How did you know?” she asked.

“Well my love, Ben and I are very good friends, I would recognize his character anywhere. You nailed him perfectly. I am also assuming when you wrote the book, you were modelling Danielle after yourself.”

“Right again I’m afraid. I never expected to meet Benedict so I figured it was a harmless hobby to create the story. I also never expected so many people to enjoy it, certainly not enough for it to become a best-seller! When I met Benedict on Jimmy Fallon we just seemed to hit it off and became good friends. So I never wanted to tell him because I didn’t want to jeopardize that” She sighed as she finished as it was a relief to get that off her chest and she knew Tom would hold her confidence. 

“It’s okay luv, your secret is safe with me. As soon as I read the whole script I knew it had to be but I also sensed you didn’t want to talk about it so I didn’t. But I think you are underestimating Ben. I am sure he wouldn’t hold this against you and he definitely wouldn’t want to give up friendship if he found out. I actually think the opposite would happen. I have seen him and you together. I think there is something more than friendship there.”

“It can’t be Tom. We lead two very different lives and neither one of us has the time or ability to maintain a relationship. Benedict is very special to me but as a friend and nothing more. Anything more than that would end in heartache for one or both of that and I am not about to risk it. I had one marriage destroyed I am not looking to go through something like that again.”

“Say what you want and I will respect your decision but I believe in not allowing the fear of ‘what if’ to stop me from bringing something beautiful into my life. Nothing ventured nothing gained darling” he said. “But I really don’t think you need to worry. Ben will take on this part as a role only and it won’t occur to him that it is anything but that. I’m sure he won’t figure it out.”

“I hope not. Anyway I need to let you rest Tom. If there is anything I can do for you please let me know” and she leaned over and placed a kiss in his cheek.

“I will Lily. Don’t worry.” And at that he closed his eyes and started drifting off to sleep.


	32. Hotel anyone?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On the ride back to the hotel Lily and Daniel have a heated argument about Benedict

Lily met up with the others outside in the waiting area. Benedict was all smiles when she came out. Daniel on the other hand was doing anything but smiling. 

“Lily, luv, it’s all set. Jon and Jacob have agreed that I would make the perfect stand in for Tom and since you aren’t too far into filming, it will only delay production for a little bit while we reshoot those scenes. Your movie will go on!” He had the look of a kid at Christmas, as if he had just given Lily the biggest gift ever. She was glad the movie would go on but was afraid of what would happen when Benedict took on the role. Oh well nothing could be done about it now, it was too late.

“That’s great Benedict. Thank you so much for stepping in. I know you will be amazing” she said, trying to sound more excited than she was.

“Tom’s going to be sleeping for a while, why don’t we go get something to eat. You all look like you could use a bite” Benedict said looking at everyone.

“I’m staying here” Luke said “but Ben is right, you guys should go”

“Jon and I have work to do to put together a new contract and a new shooting schedule so we are heading back to the studio. You guys go ahead though. Other than needing Ben for a couple of small things, you all basically have the next couple of days off until we get things put back together.” Jacob said.

“Great. Why don’t we go back to your hotel to relax? We can order something in” Benedict suggested.

“That sounds like a good idea” Cassie replied. She knew that Lily needed a rest but some food would do her good also.

“I’ve got my bike so I will meet you all over there” he said.

Lily, Daniel and Cassie all headed out to the studio car and went back to their hotel. On their way, Daniel took a moment to ask Lily about Benedict taking the part.

“I didn’t want him to do it,” she said when Daniel asked, “but Tom was so worried about the movie and Benedict was right there and volunteered. What was I going to say? No Ben I think you would suck and I don’t want you in my movie? The truth is, he will do it better than Tom since he won’t have to act much. It can only enhance the movie and let’s face it; Ben is such a big commodity right now that people will see the movie just because of him.”

“Are you going to be okay working with Ben?” Cassie asked this time. “Won’t it be hard hearing him say those words you wrote for him?

“Oh yes it will definitely be difficult but it’s something I guess I will have to get used to.” Lily answered.

“Just make sure you don’t get all mixed up in his hype” Daniel cautioned. “The media is all over everything he does and you don’t want to get mixed up in that. Plus, with that ego of his I am sure he thinks he can get any woman he wants to. You don’t want to be pressured by him to do things you don't want to do” 

“Thanks Daniel for the warning but I think I’m a big girl and can look after myself. I have no intention of being pressured by anyone but let me tell you, if I did want to, you would not stop me. I do what I want and not what you tell me I should do” Lily fired back.

Thankfully the car pulled up to the hotel before they could say anything more and Benedict was waiting out front for them. 

“Look you two, Benedict is here and he doesn’t need to get a whiff of this conversation or your petty bickering. So put it away for now” Cassie ordered. 

Daniel and Lily gave each other parting frowns and then put smiles on their faces, acting like nothing just happened.   
As they got out of the car, Benedict went over and gave Lily a hug. “Doing better now my dear?” he asked.

“Yes much thanks” she replied “But I just realized I am famished so let’s get inside and get some food ordered.   
They all headed into the lobby and onto the elevator to head up to Lily and Cassie’s room for what Lily could tell was going to be an interesting dinner


	33. How did you know?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily has some questions for Benedict about his he knew so much

As they got to Lily’s room a sudden realization came over her. She needed to ask Benedict to find out what had happened.

“Benedict” she said as they were getting seated on the couch, “How come you didn’t seem surprised that I called you and that you didn’t ask why I was here in London? And how did you know what hotel we were staying at?” she looked at him inquisitively.

“Ah I guess I have some coming clean to do” he said. “When Tom found out your London shooting schedule, he sent it to me. Tom had told me which hotel he was staying in as well so I knew you would be here also”

“What were you going to do, stalk her?” Daniel asked not being able to keep the annoyance out of his voice.

“No, of course not. I wouldn’t do that. I was planning on surprising you though” he said turning to Lily “but then this Tom thing happened and I didn’t get a chance to. That’s also how I knew I would be able to fit in this job as I knew the shooting schedule didn’t interfere with my other jobs.”

“Well how fortunate for us that you could” Cassie added. 

“Yes Benedict it was so good having you there with us today” Lily said.

They decided to order in Italian food. Benedict called down to the bar and ordered up a couple of nice bottles of wine to go with their meal. Since it would take a little time before their meal would get there, Daniel decided he would go take a shower. As much as he hated to leave Lily with him, he needed to get away and cool down because his anger was getting the best of him.

As soon as Daniel left, Cassie decided she could take a little nap. She really didn’t need one but she wanted Benedict and Lily to have some time alone.

Lily was sitting next to Benedict on the couch when she started to yawn.  
“Come over here and rest” he said as he pulled her to him and put his arm around her. 

She snuggled into his chest like she had at the hospital. This time she wasn’t distracted by worry and she could appreciate the feeling of being so close to him. He was so warm. His chest and arms were strong and muscular yet he was so soft and comfortable to curl up against.

“There now you can rest” he said.

‘Thank you Benedict, not just for now but for earlier. I was losing my mind in the hospital, sick with worry. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t been able to come” she confessed.

“My pleasure darling. I am so glad you called. I wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else. I did notice something different when we were at the hospital though” he said

“Oh, what was that?’ she asked

“You called me Ben. You never call me Ben.”

“I did, didn’t I?” she replied “I don’t know why. It just seemed more natural to me. I still love Benedict but in that moment Ben was more comforting to me” 

He reached down and kissed the top of her head and was running his fingers through her hair.   
“I kind of liked it. I like when you call me Benedict too, but when I heard you call Ben, it went right to my heart” he said. He then looked down to see her reaction to what he had said and smiled when he saw that she had fallen asleep. The events of the day had emotionally exhausted her and she was finally able to relax. Perhaps it was best she hadn’t heard him as he wasn’t ready yet to explore these feelings he seemed to keep having about her.


	34. Sightseeing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben takes Lily and Cassie around town

After a nice dinner and some conversation about where they were in the shooting schedule, Benedict made his way home with a promise to call Lily tomorrow to check in.

The next day Benedict, Lily and Cassie all decided to go back and visit Tom. Daniel had to work with Jacob and Jon so he excused himself from the visit. When they got to the hospital they noticed a great improvement in Tom from the day before. His body was over the shock of the break and the resulting pain, and the effects of the surgery were wearing off. He was in good spirits despite having to give up the movie. Claire had been by to see him also and was glad to see he was doing well. Jon had called her and let her know that Benedict would be taking Tom’s place. While she was sad that Tom wouldn’t be able to come back, she was happy that it was Benedict who was now her costar. Of course she would be! It was Benedict Cumberbatch after all. 

They kept Tom company for a couple of hours before he finally kicked them out and told them to go enjoy their day off. He knew they wouldn’t be getting too many of them once production started back up, especially Benedict. So they left him with promises to come back again tomorrow for another visit.

Since Cassie has a whole list of places she wanted to visit in London, Benedict took them sight-seeing. They saw the Tower Bridge and Parliament, Big Ben and the Palace. Cassie couldn’t get over seeing all the classic icons of London. Her excitement was contagious and although Benedict has seen all of these things since he was a boy, he saw them all with new eyes when watching Cassie and Lily discover them.

Lily was more subdued then Cassie was but she too was having a fantastic time. As much as she was excited to see the sights of London, she was too busy discovering Benedict. She couldn’t take her eyes off of him. The way his muscles rippled when he walked and how his eyes sparkled when he smiled. She had to be careful though not to let him catch her watching him as she couldn’t let him see how being this close was getting to her. She carried butterflies in her stomach the whole day.

Benedict was doing some watching of his own. Cassie was fun to watch but it was Lily who kept taking his breath away. Her hair was softly framing her dark brown eyes. Each time he looked at her he got lost in those eyes and lost his train of thought. On a couple of occasions his fingers brushed against hers and they could both feel the electricity pass between them although neither of them still wanted to acknowledge it.

Cassie has seen enough of the looks passing between the two of them that she no longer wanted to be the 3rd wheel. So after they finished their sight-seeing she let on like she was tired and wanted to go back to the hotel. This fit with Benedict’s plans as he wanted to take Lily to meet his parents. Since his Mom was such a fan of her book, she had begged Benedict to bring Lily around to see them.

“Lily, since Cassie is going back to the hotel would you like to have dinner with me?” he asked.  
“I would love to” she said “What did you have in mind?”

“How would you feel about a home cooked meal?”  
“You are going to cook?” she asked skeptically.

“Now don’t look like that. I happen to be a great cook, but no I was actually thinking we could go to my Mum and Dad’s house for supper as I know she has been dying to meet you. She is such a fan of your book.” 

“Oh I would love to meet them. From what I have seen and heard about them they seem so lovely and interesting. But..” she hesitated  
“But what?’  
“Do you think it you take me to meet them that they might think there is more to our relationship than what there is. We wouldn’t want them to get the wrong idea” she answered.

“Oh well my Mum would think that about any woman I brought to meet her but that is just her. No I think we will be okay, especially since she is interested in your work. She’ll know I am bringing you there for her benefit.”

“Well okay if you are sure then I would love to.”  
“Great. I will call and confirm with her and then we can head out.”

Benedict phoned his mother to let her know they were coming. She was ecstatic as she really wanted to meet Lily. She told Ben it was because of her book, but she had ulterior motives for wanting to meet her. As always Wanda was on the lookout for a suitable mate for her son and she never missed an opportunity to pursue that ambition when it was presented to her.


	35. Meeting the Cumberbatches

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily gets to meet Ben's parents and hears Wanda's compliments on her book.

An hour later, Benedict and Lily arrived at Ben’s parents’ home in the country. It was a quaint cottage with a beautiful garden out back on a quiet country road. If you didn’t know what you were looking for you could easily miss it. I guess when you are both actors and your son is a very famous actor, an inconspicuous home is just what you want. 

As Benedict opened Lily’s car door for her he could see a slightly nervous look on her face  
“Don’t worry Luv; my Mum and Dad are going to love you. They aren’t the skeptical types; they will like the fact that you are a positive part of my life and be happy because of it”

“Was it that obvious that I was nervous?” Lily asked.  
“Well you do have that ‘deer in the headlights’ look about you” he grinned  
“I never did have a good poker face” Lily smiled in return.

As they opened the door they were greeted by a very lovely gray haired woman. She was dressed very sharply and you could tell her appearance meant a lot to her.

“Oh you’re here!” she beamed. “Lily I am so glad to finally meet you” she said and she rushed over to Lily and gave her a big hug.   
“Go easy Mum, you don’t want to scare her right back out the door do you?” Benedict scolded.

“Oh Ben you are such a spoil sport. How could anyone not like a hug?” she responded back to him.  
“It’s fine Benedict. I was just a bit surprised but I do love hugs. It’s so nice to meet you Mrs. Cumberbatch, or do you prefer Ms Ventham?” Lily asked.

“Neither Luv, it’s Wanda to you!” she said  
“Thank you Wanda you have a beautiful home” Lily commented  
“Thank you dear. It’s humble just like us” she said. 

“So Lily gets hugs but I don’t?” Benedict teased  
“Oh course Darling but I can hug you anytime. Lily is our special guest” she teased back as she reached up to give her son his hug.

“Where’s Dad?” Ben asked.  
“Upstairs getting dressed. He was outside in the garden and his clothes were a mess. He should be down any minute. Come let's sit in the living room where it is more comfortable.” She took Lily’s arm and led her into the salon. Wanda sat down in one of the single chairs leaving the sofa for Lily and Benedict to share.

“Lily when Benedict told me that you were going to be on Jimmy Fallon with him I was so excited. I just love your book darling, as do all my friends. We couldn’t put it down”

“Thank you Wanda I am so glad to hear that. The book was definitely a labour of love for me. I never imagined so many people would enjoy it but it fills me heart to know they do” 

“I don’t know what it was about the book, but it seemed so familiar to me. It was like I could envision it happening to our family” she said, looking Lily directly in the eye. Lily squirmed a little as she wondered what Wanda meant by that. Could she have figured out the same as Tom had that the book was about Ben?”

“It’s just that kind of book I guess” Lily replied trying to turn the attention away from what Wanda had said. “I am just ordinary folk and so my writing is about the everyday person. I think a lot of people could relate to it”

“Yes I suppose its true enough. I just couldn’t help but feel a real connection to your story. I guess the credit goes to your writing dear” she said and dropped the subject.

Just then Benedict’s Dad came downstairs. “Oh I see our company has arrived. You must be Lily” he said reaching out his hand to Lily. 

“Yes Mr. Cumberbatch I am. It’s a pleasure to meet you” she said.  
“Tim please Lily. Any friend of Ben’s is a friend of ours. Hello Ben, how are you?” he asked.

“Great Dad. I do have some news for both of you though” he said. Wanda and Tim looked at each other and wondered if it had anything to do with Lily.

“I have a new job.”   
“Great son, what is it?” Tim asked  
“Well” he started looking at Lily and the his mother, “I am going to be playing Charlie in the movie version of Lily’s book”

“Oh bloody hell!” Wanda said “That’s fantastic. But how did that happen? I thought Tom had the role?”

“Well that is the unfortunate part” Lily chimed in. "Tom had an accident on set and broke his leg. He will be okay but he won’t be able to continue filming so Benedict offered to take his place.”

“Oh I am so happy” Wanda began “I mean I’m sorry about poor Tom but I am so excited to see you play Charlie as he is a fantastic character. Are you sure Tom will be okay though?” 

“Yes. He had to have surgery as it was a very bad break but with a little therapy he will be good as new the doctor said. We were in to see him today and he is in great spirits.” Benedict replied.

“Oh that’s good. So Lily what do you think about Ben playing Charlie?” Wanda asked with an inquisitive look on her face that kind of scared Lily.

“I think it’s wonderful” she said, trying to put on her best effort to hide her nervousness. “Benedict will do a wonderful job and since we are already friends he should be easy to deal with while we are on set” she looked Benedict right in the eyes and smiled asking ‘Won’t you Benedict dear?” 

“Oh course ma’ lady. Your wish is my command.” They all laughed at his exaggerated comment.

Just then a bell went off in the kitchen. “Time for dinner, everyone head into the dining room and I will bring it right out. Ben, get a bottle of wine from downstairs first would you?” Wanda asked.

“Right away Mum” he answered  
“And I will escort this lovely lady into the dining room then” Tim said as he held out his arm to Lily. Lily could certainly see where Benedict got his charm from. 

They all settled down at the table and enjoyed the beautiful dinner Wanda had prepared.  
The warm comforting food and the wine lulled Lily into a false sense of security as she had no idea what Wanda had in mind for her afterwards.


	36. She knows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wanda presses Lily for information about her character Charlie

“That was a wonderful meal Wanda. Thank you so much for inviting me to join you. I haven’t had a good home cooked meal in many weeks” Lily said.

“It was my pleasure dear. It’s so nice to have another woman in the house. I usually get overdosed with testosterone with only these two for company.” Wanda replied.

“That’s funny,” Benedict said “then why are you always after me to come over then?”

“Well of course I miss you dear but sometimes I need a little female conversation. Speaking of which, why don’t you two go outside and have your after dinner drink so Lily and I can discuss her lovely book. I have lots of questions I want to ask her and I know you two won’t be interested in that” 

“Well maybe I need to hear the questions too Mum. Now that I will be playing Charlie, I need to know as much as I can about the book.”

“They’ll be time for that later dear; right now its girl time so take a hint and bugger off would you?” Wanda ordered.

“Yes Maam! Sorry Lily, I tried to protect you but I have gotten my orders from the chief!” he teased.

“I am sure I will be fine Benedict. Your mother and I will have a lovely chat I’m sure” Lily smiled at him but she was not as calm inside. For some reason she got an odd feeling that Wanda might have some questions that Lily didn’t want to answer.

“Okay but don’t say I didn’t warn you. Come on Dad, looks like we are being kicked out”  
“Right behind you son” Tim answered as he followed Benedict out the back door.

“So Lily darling I do so much adore your book. I just wondered what your inspiration was?” she asked

“Its kind of funny actually. I didn’t start out writing a book. I was just having a bunch of random feelings that I started putting down on paper. Those feelings then became a kind of ‘what if’ thought. I wondered what it be like if someone who had a simple life like me were to suddenly find herself in another world. That built into the character of Danielle who finds herself suddenly immersed in a friendship with a celebrity. What would happen when her simple boring life became interesting and complicated?”

“Wow that’s pretty amazing. So Danielle is based loosely on you and your experiences, but where did Charlie’s character come from?”

Lily was getting very uncomfortable now. She didn’t like where Wanda was going with this line of questioning. She couldn’t let her know the truth.

“Oh from a bunch of different sources” she lied. “I have done a lot of reading on the internet and I put him together with bits and pieces of several different actors I have read about” She hoped this would appease Wanda but she didn’t know Wanda well enough to realize she wasn’t going to stop until she got to the truth.

“Really? That’s so funny” Wanda continued “because he seems so familiar to me. His character, his family and his relationship with them. I could swear I knew this person.” She looked Lily directly in the eye when she said this, hoping Lily would give her the answer she was looking for.

“Is there some reason you would think that?” Lily asked throwing the ball back into Wanda’s court. 

“Yes Lily there is. And I know you know what I’m talking about. Benedict hasn’t read the entire book and he isn’t the most perceptive man when it comes to these things either darling. But I have read it and a mother knows when someone is writing about her son.” She stopped and looked at Lily again waiting for a response.

Before Lily could answer, she continued on. “Not only do I recognize Benedict as Charlie, but obviously Charlie’s parents are supposed to be modelled off of Tim and I.”

Lily’s face turned red and tears started to well up in her eyes. The moment she had feared was upon her¸ her secret was out.   
“Oh Wanda,” she began, “I’m so sorry. I didn’t want you or Benedict to know. I am so embarrassed that I have written these things about him. I never expected to meet him and when I did, we hit it off so well, I was afraid to tell him. You are absolutely correct. I guess I was stupid to think you wouldn’t figure it out.”

Wanda came over to sit beside Lily and put her arm around her. “Its okay darling, I don’t mind and I am sure Benedict won’t either. It’s actually very flattering. I have to ask though; the feelings between Danielle and Charlie were very specific and very powerful. Is that how you feel about Ben?”

“Not exactly. I mean I did obviously think of him that way when I wrote it, but that was make believe. Benedict can cause very strong feelings in his audiences and I guess I let myself get caught up in that. I don’t want you to think I am an obsessed fan. I have never done anything like this before. I’m not a fangirl. I am a sensible no-nonsense woman who is so far from the fangirl persona. I have never become this involved in someone’s work as I did with Benedict’s. So I tried to get it out of my system in a harmless way. I had always wanted to be a writer but never found anything I wanted to write about. When I started creating this story, the words just flew out of my fingers. It almost felt like the story was writing itself.”

“But how and when did you decide to get it published?” Wanda asked. She was completely absorbed in what Lily was telling her. 

“Even when I finished writing I had on intention of publishing it but I found that I was feeling very proud about what I had written. I had read some other stories from a fan fiction website and decided I wanted to post it anonymously to see what others thought about it. I wasn’t prepared for the response I got. I only posted a couple of chapters at first. People loved it and couldn’t wait to read more. So I put it all out there. I really hated my job and thought maybe I could make a living as a writer. I decided to get an agent, met Daniel and he helped me get the book published.”

“Well my dear that is quite the story. What are your plans now?” Wanda asked  
“What do you mean? I don’t have any plans other than helping to get the movie made” Lily replied  
“I mean now that you are in Ben’s life, what are your plans for him?”

“Oh Wanda I have no plans. Benedict and I have become good friends and that’s all I want. That’s all we both want. I haven’t told him about the book, because I didn’t want him to get scared off and not want to be my friend any longer. I would miss him terribly if he were to disassociate himself from me over the book. You can’t tell him, please promise me you won’t tell him?” she pleaded.

“Oh but Lily how can you say you only want friendship? Aren’t you fooling yourself into thinking that when you really want more? I can tell Ben likes you too, or else he wouldn’t have brought you here to our home. He could have introduced us elsewhere but he chose to bring you here, to his home.”

“Trust me Wanda I have thought about this a lot. I know it would be easy to allow myself to fall for Benedict but neither of us can afford the time for a relationship. We would end up creating expectations that neither of us could live up to and in the end we would end up hating each other. I cherish what we have too much to risk losing it.”

“So if I might ask then, how did Ben end up getting the role to play Charlie?”

“He did that all on his own. I never wanted him to play Charlie because I was afraid if he did he would figure out that Charlie was really him. Tom figured it out, and you figured it out, surely Benedict will too. Tom seemed to think he wouldn’t but I’m not sure. As soon as Benedict found out that Tom couldn’t go on, he volunteered to do the part and Jon and Jacob were ecstatic with the idea. Jacob initially wanted him for the part but we suggested Tom instead.”

“Of course he did. Ben can manage to insinuate himself into any situation. Well Lily, I won’t tell him but I do think at some time he will figure it out. If you told him now it won’t be as difficult as it will be answering his questions when he does. But that’s your choice to make and I will honour your request.”

“Oh thank you Wanda!” Lily said as she reached out and hugged the older woman.  
“Just one thing though luv” Wanda added.  
“Anything” Lily said.  
“Please don’t break my son’s heart. He is more fragile then he looks”  
“That’s the last thing in the world I would want to do Wanda. The very last thing.”


	37. Girl Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily fills Cassie in on what happened at Wanda and Tims

Soon enough it was time for Lily and Benedict to return to the city. Lily thanked Wanda and Tim for their hospitality and the lovely meal. They both hugged Lily and told her she would need to come back soon as they enjoyed her company very much. After her conversation with Lily, Wanda was more encouraged than ever that this relationship between her son and Lily could become something much more than friends. She relished the thought of this beautiful, intelligent, caring woman being with Ben. He needed someone like Lily in his life.

On their way home, Benedict noticed Lily was a bit quiet.  
“Okay, fess up” he said. “What did my mother say to unnerve you so?”

“Oh nothing really. We had a pleasant conversation” Lily said trying to avoid the subject.  
“I know my mother Lily and I know the conversation would be more of an interrogation than a chat. What did she ask that she shouldn’t have?” he pressed her to tell him.

“Well she did ask what my intentions were with her son” she grinned up at him shyly  
“Of course she did. Now that sounds like Mum” he laughed. “So how did you respond to such a personal question?”

“I told your Mum that you and I were good friend and that I had no intentions other than that. I told her that neither of us had time for a relationship and that we would end up disappointing each other and hating each other in the end if we tried for anything more. I told her I wasn’t willing to risk our friendship to end up like that.” This time she was looking at him directly in the eyes.

“Yes that makes sense to me too. I do enjoy your friendship Lily” Inside he was a little disappointed. While he wasn’t willing to take their relationship to another level right now, he was disappointed that she seemed to have completely shut down that idea all together.

“So on another topic” he started trying to change the subject to one more comfortable, “I hear Jacob had you taking acting lessons in order to help write the screen play. I know I had suggested that to you before so I am curious as to how it went” 

“I loved it” she replied. “I know I will never be a famous actress but it was so much fun and the coach said I did very well for a novice. It didn’t some easy to me though, not like I am sure it does for you, but I worked hard and it turned out okay.”

“Oh good. I knew you would like it and I’m not surprised you could make it work. It really doesn’t come naturally for most people. In my case, because I grew up with acting parents, I guess I did come by it more naturally than others as I lived and breathed it since I was little. Any desires to take on any parts?

“Not right now because of the movie; but, maybe I might look into doing some local stuff if I decided to pursue some screen writing down the road. It’s too early in this movie to know if I will like the whole process enough to want to try it again.”

“Makes sense. Well I would be happy to act with you anytime Lily or help you learn if that is something that would interest you” he suggested

“I’ll keep that in mind Benedict. You never know” she replied. 

They rode the rest of the way just making regular small talk about the other actors that were on the film and what Lily thought about what she had seen so far. It was late when they got back to the hotel so Benedict let her out at the door. Before she could get out, he leaned over and planted a light kiss on her cheek. He may have meant it to be friendly but neither of their bodies responded to it in that way. As his luscious lips touched her skin, she felt a jolt that her moisten her core. His lips touching her smooth warm skin put his manhood on alert. She shivered as she got out of the car, thanking him for a wonderful day and evening and like Cinderella, she rushed up the stairs to get inside. His eyes did not leave her body until she was completely out of view and then he had to snap himself back out of the daydream he had been locked into.

When Lily got to her room, Cassie was still awake waiting for details of her evening.  
When Lily told her that Benedict had taken her to meet his parents Cassie almost fell off the bed.

“Sounds like he has more than friendship on his mind Lil if he wanted you to meet the parents”   
“It wasn’t like that Cass, his Mum is a fan of my book and wanted to meet me. That was all. Except..” she started but she trailed off.

“Except what Lily? Don’t keep me hanging!” Cassie demanded

“After supper, Wanda – that’s what she told me to call her- sent the boys outside so she could ask me more about my book. What she really wanted to do was let me know she had figured out that the book was about Benedict and their family!”

“Oh my God Lily! What did she say?”  
“She didn’t come right out and say it at first. She just kept asking me questions about where I got my inspiration from and who did I base my characters on. She kept saying how familiar they were to her, like she knew them. Finally when she could tell I wasn’t going to admit anything, that’s when she told me what she knew.”

“What did you say?”  
“I had to confess but I was crying when I did. I was so afraid she would tell Benedict. I explained everything to her and told her I wasn’t some freak fan who was stalking him. I then asked her if it was possible for her not to tell Benedict what she knew.”

“And…” Cassie urged her on.  
“Before she answered me she wanted to know what my intentions were towards him. I told her there was only friendship and there would always be just that and nothing more. That neither he nor I could handle anything more. She told me she thought we were just denying our feelings as she could tell he thought more of me than just a friend. But she did say she wouldn’t say anything to him on one condition”

“Which was?”  
“That I promise not to break her son’s heart” Lily replied as the tears started to fill her eyes again.  
“I don’t think its Ben’s heart that is going to get broken here Lily” Cassie responded. “I’m quite certain it will be yours if you keep denying this”

“No I’ll be okay” Lily said pulling herself back together. “This will work out you’ll see”

“I think you better go to bed Lily as I think you are already asleep and dreaming” Cassie said as she gave Lily a kiss on the cheek and headed off to bed.


	38. More than She Could Handle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily finds watching filming more difficult than she thought it would be.

Lily and Cassie spent the next couple of days relaxing and looking around London. Benedict had to do some work with Jon so he couldn’t join them. They also visited Tom at least once a day but he was well enough to leave the hospital now so he was at home recuperating. His younger sister moved in with him for a while so she could help out.

Daniel has taken the opportunity to book Lily on some book store appearances while she had the time. The more promotion the book got the more promotion for the movie. Lily loved meeting with her fans as she loved talking about the story and her characters. It validated for her once more that writing the book was the right thing to do.

Lily wasn’t sure if she should be there or not for the first day of filming. She was too nervous to hear Benedict speak her words. But she thought it would cause too many questions if she weren’t there.

The first scene they filmed was the rainy day Sunday scene when Danielle and Charlie spent several hours talking on the phone. Lily loved writing this part as at the time she could easily imagine having that exact conversation with Benedict. She watched as Claire delivered her lines as Danielle and Benedict responded as Charlie. Lily actually found herself getting a little jealous of Claire during the taping. When Claire and Tom were acting, it didn’t bother Lily, but now that it was Benedict, Lily felt like she should be the one having that conversation with Benedict and not Lily. All along she thought it would be hard to hear Benedict saying the lines she wrote when in reality, it was hearing Claire responding to Benedict and saying Lily’s thoughts and feelings that made it difficult to listen to.

Lily was so uncomfortable, that she found herself pacing back and forth while they were filming. She was getting so upset that she had to excuse herself and rush back to her trailer. Once inside the door, she headed for the bathroom and everything she had eaten that day ended up in the toilet. 

When Cassie caught up with her, she was lying on the floor of the bathroom, sobbing.  
“Oh Lily” Cassie began, “What happened? Do you have a stomach bug?”

Lily looked up at Cassie and was ready to lie but instead she found that she couldn’t lie to her friend any longer. She needed to tell someone how she felt.   
“Cassie, I’m not sick from the flu, I am so upset that my stomach couldn’t handle it”

“What’s wrong Lily?” she asked reaching out to try to comfort her.  
“Remember when you asked me if I would have a problem listening to Benedict read the lines I had written for him? Well it’s not his lines I am having a problem with, it’s Claire’s.”

“Claire’s? Why would you have a problem watching her? You were fine watching her before.” Cassie couldn’t see what the problem was.

“Yes but before she was saying those words to Tom, now she is saying them to Benedict. I wrote those words as if it were me and Benedict. It should be me saying them, not her. I hate to say it, but I was so jealous it became painful to watch. Cassie my stomach was reacting to my heart”

“I don’t want to say I told you so, but I knew something like this would happen. You are in love with him aren’t you?” Cassie asked

Before Lily could answer, there was a knock at the door. “Lily are you okay?”   
It was Benedict. He had seen her rush off and when the scene ended he ran to find out what was wrong. He didn’t wait to be invited in; he opened the door and entered. When he saw her sitting on the floor, he jumped to where she was and reached out to her.

“Oh my God Lily, what happened?” His face reflected the distress that was coming from his voice.  
“It’s okay Ben, I think I just ate something that didn’t agree with me. I’ll be okay”  
“You don’t look okay. You are trembling and look as pale as a ghost” he commented.

“No really I’m fine. You have to get back to the set. We need to catch up on filming” he told him.  
“I know but I couldn’t do anymore until I found out if you were okay”  
“Well now you know so go” she pulled herself together enough to order him back.  
“Yes Maam. But I will be by later to see how you are” he insisted as he left.

“That was close. I didn’t think he was going to leave” Cassie said.  
“Me either and him being here is the last thing I needed right now” Lily replied.

Again there was a knock at the door. “Lily its Daniel. Can I come in?”  
“Sure” she called out and then to Cassie she whispered “At least he asked” and then she grinned.

“Lily you look horrible. I heard you rushed off the set so I came to see what happened”   
“I’m fine Daniel. I think I ate something that didn’t agree with me but I’m okay now.”  
“Are you sure?” he asked as he moved over to help her lay down on the couch.   
“Yes I’m sure.”  
Daniel got this shy look on his face before he asked a question he wasn’t sure he wanted the answer to “You aren’t pregnant are you?” 

“God no Daniel. I would have to have sex in order to be pregnant! Why would you think that?”  
“Well you and Benedict have been spending a lot of time together lately so I just assumed” he replied sheepishly.  
“How many times do I need to tell all of you that Benedict and I are just friends and that’s it! Last time I checked nobody ever got pregnant from a kiss on the cheek. I know the man is awful sexy but I think that’s a stretch even for him!” Lily was extremely annoyed to have to be addressing this again.

“Well I see you have some of your sense of humor back even if you are mad at me for asking.” Daniel grinned.  
“Yes now if you don’t all mind I would love to rest for a little bit if that is okay?”  
“Sure” Daniel said “I’ll stop back later to check on you.” He planted a kiss on her forehead and left.  
“You too please Cassie” Lily said.  
“I will once you finish answering my question from before Benedict showed up.”  
“No Cassie I’m not in love with him. The reason I reacted to the dialogue was because when I wrote it was going through some hard times with my husband. When I heard Claire talking to Benedict it took me back to where I was when I wrote the book and it was painful. That was a very hard time for me and I don’t want to ever feel like that again.”  
“Okay I guess I can understand that. I’ll leave you alone for now”. Cassie too kissed her on the cheek and headed out the door.

Good, Lily thought, seems like she bought that reasoning. It was good that I had time to think about it before I had to answer her as I don’t think the truth would have been good to share after all. She couldn’t answer Cassie’s question because she couldn’t bring herself to admit that it just might be true.


	39. Chemistry Problems

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things arent going smoothly between Benedict and Claire

After a nap, Lily was feeling back to herself again. She knew she needed to put these feelings out of her mind as she needed to be there on set to ensure her movie went as planned. She was a big girl; she could push these thoughts away and remain professional. After all it was only a movie, a movie with words that she had created in her mind. Benedict and Claire were just acting; they didn’t have feelings towards each other, they were just repeating words. Nope she was just going to have to carry on.

Daniel wasn’t doing too well. He was worried about Lily. Not just about her health but her growing closeness to Benedict. Even though she said they were just friends, he saw how Benedict looked at her. Daniel knew that look as the look of someone in love. He knew that look because he was finally ready to admit to himself that he was in love with Lily! His heart ached every time he was around her. He wanted nothing else than to wrap his arms around her and place his lips on her mouth. He was afraid he was losing her and although he didn’t know exactly what, he knew he needed to do something soon or she would be gone. 

Benedict was also still disturbed by what had happened yesterday. He knew there was something going on with Lily and it wasn’t food poisoning as she tried to tell him. She had seemed disturbed to have him in her trailer when normally he was a source of comfort for her. His appearance there yesterday seemed to upset her more than it did soothe her and that bothered him terribly. What could he have done to upset her so?

That next day’s filming began as usual. Lily returned to the set and this time she was better composed. When there was dialogue she knew would be difficult to listen to, she just thought about something else and didn’t really listen. 

The majority of the first couple of weeks filming was based around the phone calls and initial establishing of Danielle’s character and her and Charlie’s relationship. After that the filming went to Charlie’s house and the scenes inside of the house. Claire was doing a good job, but something was missing. Tom and Claire had such good chemistry that what chemistry existed between her and Benedict paled in comparison. Jon noticed the difference and kept doing extra takes of scenes trying to get it right. It didn’t matter how many different ways they did it, they couldn’t seem to find the right magic. Tom was even brought back on set to watch and see if he could contribute anything to the project based on his earlier experience with the role.

“Ben I have never seen you not be able to connect with an actress before.” Tom commented. “Clearly there is something blocking you. Claire seems to be giving everything the same way she did when she was with me, but you don’t seem to be able to find that spark. What’s up mate?” As Tom was saying this, he noticed Ben was looking past him over to where Lily was sitting.

“Ah is that it?” Tom asked  
“Is what it?” Ben questioned back.  
“Are you so distracted by Lily that you can’t concentrate on Claire?”  
“No of course not!” Ben fired back. “I am a professional, I don’t get distracted”  
“Perhaps distracted is the wrong word. When you see Lily sitting there what do you think about?” Tom asked. “And be honest Ben because I know you well enough to know when you are lying”

Ben pulled Tom aside away from the rest of the cast and crew. “Honestly Tom, I can’t stop thinking about her when I am offset. When I am onset I’m afraid that I feel like I shouldn’t be saying these words to Claire with Lily sitting right there. I find myself comparing Claire to Lily and I can’t seem to find my motivation for being so in love with Claire. I have never said any romantic dialogue this intense on screen or off and I am finding it hard to connect.”

“Well Buddy, that why you are an Actor. You need to find that or you are going to be kicked off and you don’t want that. Lily needs to be here so you will just have to ignore the fact that she is here and concentrate on the fact that ‘Charlie’ loves ‘Danielle' and it doesn’t matter what Ben thinks about Claire.”

“You’re right. Of course you are right and I have known this all along. I don’t know how I allowed myself to get so off track on this. Thanks Tom for bringing me back to senses. I will be okay now” Ben said

“You better be. I know you can do it Mate. And if I might add, you need to tell Lily how you feel because if you don’t, you aren’t going to be able to concentrate and do what you need to.”

“Easier said than done Tom. She made it perfectly clear after the dinner we had at Mum’s that she is not interested in a relationship with me other than as friends, so I will have to respect that and learn to let go”

“Whatever Ben but I think you are missing out by not being honest with her.” Tom left it at that. His job as a consultant was done.

From then on Ben seemed to be able to find his inspiration and he able to commit to the passion the role demanded of him. He tried not to maintain eye contact with Lily as he found it easier that way. Jon was much happier with Ben and they continued to film more scenes. No when things went wrong this next time it wasnt because of Ben.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would love to hear your comments please take a minute to leave some either positive or constructive


	40. Alice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alice pays Benedict a visit while Daniel makes a supper date with Lily

After Lily’s exit from the production floor the other day, Daniel decided he needed to let Lily know how he felt. He was afraid if he waited any longer that she and Benedict would end up together and then he wouldn’t have a chance with her. While the thought of her rejecting him was frightening, the thought of her with Benedict was even worse. 

They were on the set watching some of the filming when he decided to set a time for them to talk.

“Lily, you haven’t had a good meal for a while, why don’t you join me for dinner tonight? Daniel suggested.  
“I know I haven’t Daniel but we have had so much work to do. I’m not sure I have time for a full dinner”   
“Well how about a compromise? We have some stuff I was going to meet with you this afternoon to go over, but instead why don’t I leave it until later and we can have a working supper? We can work in my room that way Cassie can have your room to herself and I will arrange supper for us.” 

“Sitting down to eat dinner does sound like a good idea” she said. “And this way we would still be getting work done. Okay I’m in. What time?”   
“Say 630?” he replied  
“Sounds good. I will meet you at your room at 630.”  
“Perfect. It will be nice and relaxing work, I promise” Daniel said.  
“It’s a date” Lily said.

As they went back to watching the taping Daniel smiled to himself. He was finally going to get some time alone with Lily. He knew once he showed Lily how much he cared for her that she would feel the same about him.

Daniel left the studio early so he could prepare for his evening with Lily. He decided he would order some Greek cuisine as he knew Lily loved her souvlakis and Greek salad. He also picked up 2 nice bottles of white wine. Lily loved white wine no matter what kind of food they would be eating. Something not dry, but a little fruity was her favorite. Yes he knew Lily’s likes and dislikes well. He was her agent so it was his business to know but also he enjoyed bringing her treats and seeing her smile as she enjoyed them.

Daniel knew that Lily had been stressed lately. Although he didn’t know why, he knew she needed to relax. He decided to surprise her with a massage before dinner. He knew she would refuse it if he asked so he wasn’t going to ask, he just went ahead and booked it. He was having the masseuse come to his room so Lily couldn’t say no. He also purchased a nice kimono for Lily to wear afterwards so she could really relax and feel rejuvenated. 

Daniel then went to work on himself. He had a nice shower, making sure to use the bodywash she liked. He shaved as he knew she preferred her men clean shaven most of the time. He wanted to look sexy for her but he also wanted to be casual. If he were too dressy she would feel uncomfortable. He was planning on choosing a part of tight black jeans that he knew accentuated his butt and a white dress shirt as he knew Lily loved a man in a white dress shirt. But he changed his mind and he thought about having a massage himself. He got another kimono and put is on so he would be ready when she got there.

Lastly, he chose some music. Classical wasn’t really Lily’s thing but she did love slow sensual music. He chose an Enrique Iglesias album download on his iPod for the occasion. There he thought he covered everything. Now he only needed Lily!

While Daniel was getting ready for their supper, Lily was watching the rest of the shooting for the day. Benedict and Clarie seemed to be much more at ease with each other and their chemistry was getting better. 

Just as they were doing the last take of the day, a very petite blonde came up to stand by where Lily was seated. Lily couldn’t help but notice her as everyone noticed her. She was stunning and had a presence that made everyone stop and take notice of her. As soon as Benedict saw her, a large smile came across his face and he lost his concentration on his lines. 

“Cut” Jon yelled. “Benedict what are you doing? We only have this scene to finish; do you think you could stay focussed with us?”  
“Yes, yes, sorry Jon and everyone” He turned his attentions back to the others and finished the scene. 

As soon as they were done and Jon said it was a wrap for the day, Benedict rushed over to greet the blonde.

“Alice luv, how great to see you” he gushed as he ran up and put his arms around her and gave her a very friendly kiss.

“So nice to see you too Ben. I’ve missed you!” she said. 

“What brings you to our set?”  
“I heard from Martin that you were filming this romance thing and I had to come watch. After all no one could be any more romantic than you darling and I should now.” Benedict blushed at her words and it was at that moment that he realized that Lily was sitting right there.

“Lily, I would like to introduce you to Alice Eve. Alice is a good friend of mine and we have been in a few movies together” he paused and Alice jumped in  
“Oh I think we are closer than friends Big Ben” she teased looking at him like she wanted to devour him whole.

Ignoring her comment, Benedict continued “Alice this Lily Waters. Lily is the woman who wrote the book and the screenplay for this movie”

“Nice to meet you” Lily said  
“Of yes I believe I did hear about your little book darling. Nice to meet you too” she replied although her tone really didn’t have much warmth.

“So Ben, I am only free tonight and I was hoping we could get together.”  
“That would be nice; I believe I am free for dinner.” He said  
“Dinner or dancing or perhaps something more intimate sounds good” she said as she snuggled into his chest like she owned him.

“What hotel are you staying in? I’ll meet you there.”   
“Staying at the Bedford Arms. How about 7pm?”  
“Sounds good” he said as he reached out to kiss her good bye.  
“See you then and oh Ben?” she paused  
“Yes Alice?”  
“Don’t be late, because I am feeling very hungry tonight” she said licking her lips, “And I might need several courses to satisfy me” With that she winked at him and walked off.

“She’s quite the girl your Alice” Lily commented.  
“Yes she can be a bit of a whirlwind” Ben agreed.  
“Hope you have some protection with you tonight Benedict” Lily countered “As I think you are going to need it” With that Lily walked off the set leaving Benedict with his mouth open trying to think of something to say.

It was clear to Lily that Benedict wasn’t sitting at home being celibate. She didn’t know why she would think that he wouldn’t be seeing other women. There were enough of them around that wanted to throw themselves at him. It was clear that he and Alice had a history together and that Alice had every idea that they were going to re-enact that history tonight.

Well, let him have Alice if that’s what he wanted. Lily could have a life of her own too.


	41. Daniel's Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daniel knows what Lily needs to rejuvinate

As Lily was dressing for her dinner with Daniel, she was relieved they were staying in and doing something casual. She was worn down emotionally these last couple of weeks and today’s episode with Alice didn’t help any. Dinner with a friend was always a good idea. She dressed in a pair of jeans and a pink V-neck t-shirt. Pink was her color and always seemed to perk her up when she was tired. 

“You look very nice” Cassie commented. “Going out on a date?” she asked  
“No silly, just having a working dinner with Daniel. He was worried about me not eating properly and wanted us to have a nice meal together. By having it in his room we can work and have a nice meal at the same time”

“I see” Cassie said not really believing that was Daniel’s motivation for wanting Lily in his room. She wasn’t going to push it as Lily could use some down time and some romance. Maybe Daniel would be good for Lily since she didn’t seem to want anything with Benedict.

“Don’t work too hard then” Cassie called out as Lily was heading for the door. “I’ll be fine here all by myself eating take out and ice cream, don’t worry about me” she finished but Lily was out the door and couldn’t hear her by that time so her lamenting was wasted.

Lily crossed the hall to Daniel’s room and knocked. Daniel opened the door almost immediately as he was prepared and ready for Lily. When he opened the door though he surprised Lily be being dressed in a kimono.

“Am I too early?” she asked looking at Daniel’s attire.  
“Nope, right on time. I have a little surprise for you though that’s why I am dressed like this” he said.

Lily wondered what the surprise was but she didn’t linger on it. She stepped in and looked around the room.

“Wow Daniel, I havent been in here in a while. You have a nice cozy spot here. And the flowers are beautiful. Did you get them just because I was coming?” she asked grinning

“I could lie and say I have them all the time, but I think you know me better than that” he said. “I thought you could use something beautiful to look at since I have you” he said.

“You’re a nut” Lily responded, hitting him gently on his arm. He knew she wasn’t yet taking him seriously but she would before the night was over.

Lily looked around the room further. I don’t see any supper yet. Are you sure I’m not too early?” she questioned.

“Nope you are right on time. Supper will be a bit later as I want to give you your surprise first” he said.

“Okay you are making me kind of nervous but I trust you. What’s the surprise?”

Daniel went to the door of his bedroom and opened the doors up wide to reveal 2 massage tables and 2 masseurs standing at the ready.

“Oh Daniel, a massage? We don’t have time for a massage. I thought this was a working supper” Lily asked.

“There will always be time for work later Lily. You have been working too hard and are too stressed right now. You need this and I need this so I went and booked them for us. Don’t worry, I won’t see anything I shouldn’t but we can relax and enjoy the massages together.”

“Well, I have been a little stressed lately. And a massage would feel pretty good. Okay you win. Massages all around” she joked as she headed into the room.

“Here” Daniel said as he passed her a kimono similar to his own. “Go into the bathroom and change into this and then come back out.”

Daniel slipped into the bathroom to change and Daniel took the opportunity to slide up on his massage table. He thought Lily might find it a bit more comfortable if he were already settled before she came in.

When Lily came out of the bathroom it was all Daniel could do to not say something inappropriate. She looked so ravishing in her kimono. It hugged her in all the right places and her silky hair matched the silkiness of the kimono.

“This feels better already” Lily said, “And I haven’t even gotten on the table yet”  
“Well hop on up so you can really start to enjoy it” he said “I promise I will look the other way while you get settled” he said trying to respect her modesty.

Lily climbed up on the table and got into position. As soon as the masseuse started Lily sighed with contentment. “Ah Daniel this was the perfect idea. Thank you so much for thinking of it!” she said.

“My pleasure Lily. I know you are a strong woman, but even strong women need someone to look after them from time to time.”

“And you do always look after me Daniel. I don’t know what I would do without you” she sighed again as she relaxed into a quiet sleep.

Daniel could hear the soft purr like noises coming from Lily’s table and knew that she had drifted off to sleep. He was happy she was relaxed enough to rest as he knew she needed to. Hopefully she would remember how much she needed him when he got up the nerve to talk to her later on.


	42. Dinner and Dessert

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A surprise dessert and a surprise photo on the news leads Lily to make a decision which will have a serious impact on her life

Lily felt so good after her massage and her nap. She slipped back into her kimono for supper like Daniel suggested. There was no need for them to be formal around each other; they had known each other too long for that.

“Daniel this supper is divine. This whole evening so far has been amazing” Lily commented.

“Nothing’s too good for my Lily” he said. 

The wine they were drinking was also putting them in a very relaxed mood making Lily a little giddy. “You are right Daniel! Nothing is too good for me, or you!” she said very emphatically. “So why don’t we indulge ourselves more often?”

“Because you are too busy trying to take care of everyone and everything. You work too hard to even realize what you need. You need to stop every once in a while and smell the roses as they say”

“You are right Daniel. I think it is time I concentrate on me.”  
“How about we finish our wine on the couch and watch a little TV or a movie?’ Daniel suggested.

“Oh a movie would be nice” Lily replied as she made her way over to the couch with her wine glass. She settled in next to some pillows in the middle of the couch as Daniel came over and slipped in beside her on the other side of the pillows.

“What kind of movie would you like?” he asked. “I thought maybe a nice romantic comedy of sorts?”  
“Sounds great Daniel. Do you have anything that doesn’t have anyone we know in it?” she asked. After seeing Benedict with Alice earlier she really didn’t want to see him with anyone else even if it was in a movie. 

“I think that can be arranged” he said. He wasn’t sure why she didn’t want to see any of Benedict’s movies but he was glad she didn’t. He wanted tonight to be about her and him and not Cumberbatch.

They settled in to watch their movie; each of them huddled against the pillows between them. Daniel could smell the jasmine shampoo Lily used and the sensual scent of the body oil from their massage. She smelled every bit as good as she looked and she looked incredible. She really had no idea how beautiful she was. Every minute he was with her was another minute that he fell further in love with her. 

They were about halfway through the movie when the doorbell rang. Daniel shut off the movie and got up to answer it. When he opened the door, Lily was surprised to see a waiter there with a food tray.

“More food?’ she asked.  
“You didn’t notice we didn’t have any desert earlier? I thought it would be good to wait a little bit and then have some. I know what a sweet tooth you have.”

“Oh that’s perfect. You know me too well. What do we have?” she asked  
“I thought a little chocolate trifle might hit the spot” he replied  
“Ooo yummy! My favorite. And it’s not too heavy on the tummy” Lily squealed.

They sat back down each with a bowl and their own spoons with the heavenly chocolate pudding and whipped cream mixture. Daniel went to put the movie back on but instead he got the news channel where they were mentioning Lily’s movie.

“Wait what are they saying about our movie?” she asked.  
As Daniel turned the sound up, you could hear the reporter say “Even on the set of his new romance movie ‘The Woman She was Meant to Be” Benedict Cumberbatch finds time to snuggle up with an old girlfriend. He and actress Alice Eve were just spotted all cozy in the back of a restaurant close to the set looking like the can’t keep their eyes or hands off of each other.” The reporter stopped talking but showed a picture of Benedict and Alice sitting almost on top of each other, holding hands as she was whispering something into his ear, or was she nibbling on his ear as his expression looked a little lustful.

“Well now, guess we know what Benedict is doing with his evening” Daniel mused.  
“I’m not surprised” Lily said resentfully, “she was all over him at the set before I left”  
Lily was trying to stay calm around Daniel but inside she was fuming. He wasn’t ready for anything with her but he sure could find time for miss bimbo. Well two can play at that game. “Let’s enjoy our movie” she said as she continued to enjoy her dessert.

Daniel started the movie again and as they were eating their dessert he reached over and put some whip cream on Lily’s nose.  
“Oh really?” she said. “Is that how you want it?” and she reached over with a big gob of cream and chocolate on her finger and she smeared it all over his face.  
“Hey now, you are getting nasty” he said “Take that!” and he took a small handful and rubbed it in Lily’s face.  
“Oh Daniel I can’t breathe now” Lily hollered

“Sorry my darling, let me help you” he took his fingers and ran them along her cheeks and over her nose trying to whip away the mess he put there. As his finger grazed along her lips she licked her lips at the same time and ended up licking his finger. At that moment Daniel knew he couldn’t wait any longer. He bent down and licked Lily’s lips with his tongue and then kissed her gently on her puckered mouth. 

Lily hesitated but only for a moment and she kissed him back. The sensation of his mouth on hers was ignited when he reached his hands out and pulled her face to him. Daniel had waited so long to feel her face, her lips, to look lovingly into her eyes and put his heart out there for her to do what she wanted. Lily could feel his desire for her and while it was unexpected, it was a gift to her troubled soul. She felt lonely and dejected by the man she wanted but here was a good man, who meant so much to her, offering to be hers, offering to love her in a way no one else had.

So Lily responded to his kisses in a firm and passionate way. Daniel pulled her fully to him and he put his arms around her. His tongue made its way into her mouth as he tasted every inch of it. His hands slid up and down her back as he tried to mesh her body with his. He whispered in her ear “Lily I have wanted to be with you for so long. You are an amazing woman.” He said 

“You are an amazing man Daniel. I want to be with you too” she said as she yearned to be wanted the way he wanted her. He lifted her up off the couch and carried her into his bedroom.


	43. Happiness?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daniel finally gets to show Lily how he feels about her

Grabbing a cloth as they entered the bedroom, Daniel gently removed the chocolate mess from Lily’s face and his own. As they stood there by the bed, he continued to kiss her mouth and then trailed his lips down her neck as she arched her head backwards in response. She reached her mouth to his ear and nibbled on his earlobe as she ran her hands through his hair. He moaned softly at the delight of her mouth on him. He nipped at her neck and moved down to her collarbone causing small sighs to escape her mouth as he did.

Daniel then stopped kissing her and looked Lily directly in the eye. He knew what was going to happen next would change their relationship and he wanted to make sure she wanted it. He put his hand on the belt that was holding her kimono together as he looked at her. She nodded her head giving him permission, letting him know she was ready to go ahead. He slowly untied the belt as her kimono opened up to reveal her luscious body underneath. Daniel put his hands on her shoulders and pushed the robe to the floor. 

“God Lily you are so gorgeous. More lovely than I imagined” he said  
In response she took his hands and kissed them and then lowered her hands to his kimono belt and untied it the same as he had done to hers.  
“You are very beautiful yourself” she said as she moved her hands to caress his chest. 

Daniel picked her up and laid her gently in the bed as he began kissing her again. One hand was on her cheek as the other moved down her side along her breasts and down the outside of her hip. She skin felt so soft that he quivered as much as she did when he touched her. 

It had been a long time since a man touched her but Lily realized how much she missed that. She missed the feel of hard pec muscles and a firm rippled abdomen. She let her tongue glide across his chest and settled on one of his nipples and she traced her teeth around it. The growl that came out of him was animalistic. 

Daniel wanted tonight to be more about love than passion. He wanted to show Lily how much he cared for her and not just how much he desired her body. He laid soft kisses on her chest and gently sucked each of her nipples one after the other until they formed firm peaks. He then lowered his kisses to her stomach as his hands moved down the outsides of her hips. 

Daniel moved back up to her mouth and laid some more kisses there. He wanted to savour her taste so it would be forever etched on his memory. He wanted her so badly he couldn’t wait any longer.

“Lily?” he said   
“Yes Daniel”  
“I want to be inside of you. I want to make sweet love to you. Do you want that too?” he asked.   
Lily hesitated for a moment while she thought about Benedict and how it was him she really wanted. Then a picture of Benedict’s naked body riding Alice and making her scream came into her mind and instantly that hesitation was gone. 

“Yes Daniel, of God yes” she breathed as she reached her hand down to caress him.

Daniel moved himself onto top of her and placed himself at her entrance. She was wet and ready for him and he pushed himself in slowly, savoring every last inch of the way. 

“Ooh” she groaned as the feeling was heavenly. Then her desire and anger took over and she moved her hips up and down furiously causing Daniel to almost fall over. She wanted to feel Daniel inside of her, possessing her, and making her forget that Benedict ever existed. 

“Harder Daniel, harder!” she screamed as she wanted him to pound into her with all he had. 

“On my God Lily!” Daniel hollered. He couldn’t control himself any longer and he exploded inside of her. She had forced Daniel to react and move so quickly that she didn’t have time for her own orgasm to build. Now she was not only frustrated mentally but sexually as well. She didn’t dare let Daniel know as she didn’t want to hurt his feelings, but also she suddenly realized right then that sleeping with Daniel was a mistake!


	44. Cassie what do I do?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily confides in Cassie who gives Lily some good advice.

Daniel reached over to Lily pulling her into an embrace. He was so in love with her and now she was finally his, or so he thought. He caressed her cheek and kissed her sweetly on the lips to show her how much she meant to him. 

Lily didn’t want to be rude to Daniel; she really did care for him. But she knew the only reason she allowed herself to sleep with him was because she was hurting from seeing Benedict with Alice. She tried to return his kisses so that he didn’t realize that anything was wrong but she couldn’t stay with him any longer or she was going to break down.

“Lily you have made me a very happy man tonight” Daniel said as he looked longingly into her eyes.

“You make me happy too Daniel as you take such good care of me” she really did appreciate how much he looked after her. 

“I can’t wait to tell the world how in love we are” he said.  
That thought really worried Lily as she didn’t know that she wanted anyone to know what had happened between them.   
“Daniel, do you think that we could wait a little bit before we tell anyone?” she asked.  
“Why Lily?”  
“This is just so new that I don’t want to risk anything spoiling it. We know we make great work partners but what it we don’t make great romantic partners?”  
“Are you saying you don’t have feelings for me?” he asked  
“No I’m not saying that, but I never expected tonight to end up like it has and I would like a little time for us to adjust to our new relationship before we let others in on it. You don’t know, maybe I would make a terrible girlfriend” she said.

“I doubt that Lily, I’m not worried. But if you really want to wait a little bit I can do that. Whatever makes you most comfortable.” He replied.  
“Great” she said as she kissed him on the cheek. “I think I should get back to my room then before Cassie gets suspicious.” She got out of bed and headed for the bathroom before Daniel could protest.

“If you insist but I already miss having you in my bed” he said  
As Lily closed the bathroom door she cringed at what Daniel had said. How could she have used him like this when she had no romantic feelings for him? 

Lily finished dressing, told Daniel how much she cherished their evening together and everything he had done for her, and then she left to go back to her suite. As she expected Cassie was waiting up to see what had happened.

Lily told Cassie about the wonderful evening that Daniel had prepared for her. She told her everything except about seeing Benedict on TV. Cassie was shocked when Lily told her about sleeping with Daniel. 

“What I don’t understand Lily is why you would sleep with Daniel when you knew you didn’t feel the same for him as he does for you?”

“Jealousy and loneliness” Lily replied.  
“I get the loneliness part as I know you haven’t had anyone in your life like that for a long time. But jealousy? Did someone make a move on Daniel?” Cassie asked.

“No not on Daniel, on Benedict.” Lily confessed.  
“What happened?”

“Alice Eve is what happened. She came on the set after you had left and snuggled up to Big Ben as she called him. She was making it clear what she wanted and he wasn’t turning her away. They made plans for dinner and just as Daniel and I were sitting down to watch a movie, some showbiz reporter showed a picture of the two of them all cuddled up in restaurant. It was clear that it was more than a friendship dinner as Alice was nibbling away on his ear and Benedict had that look of lust in his eyes. I felt so defeated and rejected and here was Daniel pouring his heart out to me and kissing me and I couldn’t say no. I needed to feel wanted and loved.”

“Oh Lily” Cassie went to her and hugged her trying to add some comfort to her situation. “Is it possible that maybe you do feel something for Daniel also?” I know you wouldn’t have just slept with anyone because you could have done that a long time ago if you had wanted to.” Cassie pondered.

“I don’t know. You are right I wouldn’t just sleep with anyone and I do care for Daniel an awful lot. But I know now that it is Benedict I really care for and I feel like I would only be hurting Daniel if I stayed with him.”

“You don’t know that Lily, and believe me when I say this, that I wouldn’t want you to hurt Daniel in any way. But, maybe if you give him a chance and let him into your life you may find he is just want you need. He may make you forget all about Benedict.”

“Maybe, but don’t I owe it to Daniel to be honest with him?” Lily asked

“Of course you do, but being honest doesn’t mean you have to reject him. Be honest with him and then he can decide if he wants your relationship to go any further or not.”

“Perhaps you are right Lily. Maybe what happened tonight is exactly what I needed to happen to be able to move on with my life.”  
“Sleep on it Lily. See how you feel in the morning. It is always best to make decisions when you are good and rested” Cassie advised.

“You are right Cassie. A good night’s sleep is exactly what I need”


	45. Honesty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily confesses to Daniel and leaves the decision up to him.

The next morning Lily woke up feeling better than she had the night before about what had happened. She decided that Cassie was probably right. She had always known that falling for Benedict wouldn’t be good for her which is why she had tried to resist it. Now she had her proof that it wouldn’t work. 

She decided she would talk to Daniel right away as she didn’t want this to drag on. She would tell him exactly how he felt and he could decide where they went from here. That was the best option.

Lily dialled up Daniel’s room because she didn’t want him to get away before they had a chance to talk. He picked up on the first ring.

“Good morning Daniel. Did I wake you?” Lily asked.

“Good morning Lily. No I was awake. But I did have a wonderful sleep last night. You did that to me” he said.

“I’m glad you slept well. Daniel I would like to come over and talk to you this morning before we head off for the day, If I have quick shower will you still be around when I am done?” she asked

“Sure. I was just heading into the shower myself. Pop on over whenever you are ready: he said.

“Be there in 30” she said.

As Daniel hung up the phone he was a little nervous about whatever it was that Lily wanted to talk to him about. Last night had been great. She had wanted it as much as he had, or at least that’s what he thought. Maybe she didn’t want to be with him after all. No he couldn’t let himself think like that. Lily was his girl now and everything was going to be perfect. She probably just wanted to talk to him about how long they were going keep things private. Yes that was probably it. Feeling better now, Daniel headed into the shower to get ready to see his Lily.

 

30 minutes later Lily was knocking on Daniel’s door. She was nervous but she knew now this was the right thing to do. 

Daniel opened the door and immediately greeted Lily with a kiss.  
“Hello my love” he said as she entered his suite.  
“Hello Daniel”  
“Come in and sit” he said pointing to the couch.

As Lily sat down Daniel tried to wrap his arms around her and give her another kiss but this time Lily moved back.

“What is it Lily? Why are you rejecting me?” he asked with the saddest look Lily had ever seen.

“I’m not rejecting you Daniel; I just want us to talk first. You need to hear what I have to say as you may decided you don’t want to kiss me anymore”

Daniel got a very scared look on his face but then he thought this is Lily, how bad can it be. “Lily darling I can’t imagine you telling me anything that would make me not want to kiss you” he said.

“We’ll see” she said. “I have to be honest with you Daniel and let you know exactly how I feel about you and….” She paused.

“Me and Benedict?” he asked  
“Yes, how did you know I was going to say that?” 

“Because I am not blind Lily. I have watched the two of you since you first met. I have seen the way you look at him. That and the fact that you wrote this amazing love story about yourself and him. I have been insanely jealous of the two of you which is why I was amazed that you came to me last night” Daniel confessed.

“Well Daniel I think you saw more than I did. Obviously I had a crush on Benedict long before I met him and when I did meet him, we hit it off. The problem was we both knew that we couldn’t have any kind of a real relationship given our professions and we didn’t want anything less. So we settled for friendship, or so I thought. But I couldn’t control my feelings for him. I didn’t realize how much they were growing until I saw him on set with Claire. The reason I rushed off the set that day was because it was killing me to hear him say the words I wrote to another woman. It was then that I knew I had more feelings than I should have but I also didn’t think he had the same feelings for me so I tried to push them away”. 

“Things were going fine until yesterday when Alice showed up on set. I could see the way he looked at her that he wanted her and she wasn’t shy about letting everyone know she wanted him. I was feeling horrible when I left the set and I thought coming here to work would be just the thing I needed to forget about them.”

“When I got here you were so sweet and had arranged the perfect night- from the massage to my favourite dinner and then the delicious dessert. It was lovely right up until we saw the news clip of them at the restaurant where I was forced to see the two of them so close together. It was then I knew he certainly didn’t want me. It was also then that you chose to kiss me. Your lips were so warm and inviting and I could feel the genuine feelings you have for me in your touch.”

“You made me feel wanted and loved and I needed that. It was those feelings that made me melt into your arms. I really felt like we were meant to be together right up until you were inside me and then I had a flash of him fucking her and all I wanted to do was to feel pain. You must have noticed how I changed right then?”

“I was a little surprised at how urgent you got all of a sudden. Your turned more ferocious than loving” he said.

“Yes it was at that point that I really wasn’t fair to you or me and I forced you to act in a way you normally wouldn’t because I felt like I needed to be punished. It backfired on me though. As soon as you finished, I knew it was a mistake but I didn’t want to hurt your feelings. That’s why I told you I wanted to keep it a secret because I didn’t know what to do” Lily sighed as she had gotten it all out. Every last detail and now it was up to Daniel to decide what to do next.

“So you are saying you don’t love me, you were only using me and now you don’t want anything to do with me?” he said looking more dejected than angry.

“Not exactly. I do love you Daniel but right now I am not in love with you. However the night you prepared for me and the way you treated me last night was amazing. I came to the realization this morning that I have to leave my feelings for Benedict in the past and move on. I need to find someone who will love and cherish me but I believe I have already found him, if he still wants me after how I just confessed to using him to feel better about myself” she stopped then and looked Daniel in the eyes. “I think that now that I have removed Benedict from the equation that I could develop stronger feelings for you Daniel. That is if you are willing to start our romantic relationship at the beginning and take on a slower pace that I will need to begin with.”

Daniel didn’t say anything to Lily for a few moments as he thought about all she had said. He didn’t want to be anyone’s second choice but here was the woman he loved telling him she would like to try to have a relationship with him if he still wanted her.

“Lily, I can’t say that I am not hurt by what you have revealed to me about last night. I thought we were expressing our mutual love for each other and not that you were using me on the rebound. But I am also not stupid. I hear you saying you have some feelings for me and although they are not as strong as the ones I have for you, you would like to start a relationship and see where it takes us. Did I get that correct?” he asked

“Yes Daniel that’s exactly it” 

“Well then Lily, I say, I am willing to give it a try” he said as a smile broke out on his lips. “I do have one condition though” 

“Absolutely, what is it Daniel?” she asked  
“That I am not willing to hide our relationship. If we are going to do this, we are going to be public about it as I am not willing to be your dirty little secret” he said

“Of course Daniel. I would never think of you like that and I would be happy to be seen as a couple in public with you”

“Good. Now then I would like that kiss you promised me earlier” he said  
“Certainly. I would be glad to give my boyfriend a kiss” she smiled as this time she wrapped her arms around him and smothered his mouth with hers. He did have a very sensual mouth and was a great kisser. Perhaps this could really work, she thought


	46. The New Couple

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Benedict gets introduced to the new couple.

When they headed off to work that day, Lily and Daniel took the same car as normal but things were definitely different this time. Daniel took her hand in his as they walked to the car and helped her get inside, something he had never done before. Inside the car, they sat close to each other, in a more intimate way than before. Lily was a little uncomfortable but she knew she would get more relaxed the more they were together. 

“Lily, I know this is different for you and I won’t try to rush you, but I do hope you won’t mind if I kiss you every now and then?” he asked

“Of course I won’t mind. I did commit to trying a relationship between us. And yes you are right, it will take some getting used to for me but soon I will relish this relationship the same as you do. I hope you will just bear with me if my kisses aren’t as passionate as you would like them to be, for now” she replied.

“Of course I will” he said as he leaned in and kissed her to show he meant it. She responded to his kiss in a gentle way. The passion definitely wasn’t there but Daniel was a good kisser and she enjoyed his kisses.

They reached the studio and Daniel walked around the car to help Lily out. As soon as she was out of the car, Daniel slipped his arm around her waist. Sure this wasn’t exactly the way he had hoped to have a relationship with Lily but he knew it wouldn’t be long until she felt the same for him. He just needed everyone to know she was his, and by everyone, he meant Benedict.

It didn’t take long for Benedict to see them as he was coming out of the make-up trailer as they were walking towards the set. Daniel managed to see him before Lily did and he took the opportunity to reach down and kiss her just in time for Benedict to see. Lily smiled up at Daniel, making the moment just perfect for Benedict’s view.

Lily looked up then and noticed Benedict standing before them. She felt a pang of guilt but then quickly dismissed it as she thought about seeing Alice and Benedict together. 

“Good morning Benedict” she smiled at him like she was on cloud 9.  
“Good morning you two. Things seem a little different between you this morning?” he questioned.

“I guess you could say that” Lily teased as Daniel replied “Very different. Lily and I finally confessed the feelings we had for each other and we are a couple now” he was looking Benedict directly in the eye when he said this. 

“Really? Well isn’t that great!” Benedict said, trying to muster up as much enthusiasm as he could. Inside he was in shock. He didn’t see this coming and he wasn’t happy.

“Yes we are so happy” Daniel went on.   
“How was your evening?” Lily asked wondering what Benedict would say.  
“Oh nothing as special as yours” he said “Just a nice dinner with Alice. We caught up on the news and reminisced about old times”  
“Yes we saw” Lily said, the words jumping out of her mouth before she could think not to say them.  
“You saw what?” Benedict asked  
“Oh we saw the 2 of you on your date, it was on the evening entertainment news” Daniel replied.  
“Was it really? I didn’t even see the cameras” Benedict answered and then he looked annoyed.  
“Did you have something to hide old chap?” Daniel asked him in a taunting kind of way.  
“No nothing to hide” he said “I just didn’t realize they were there”

“Yes you two looked so cozy” Daniel added. He liked seeing Benedict squirm and he wasn’t about to let up.  
“Just good friends is all” he replied looking at Lily as if willing her to believe him.

“Whatever you say” Daniel chirped back. “Anyway, we have to go. Jon wants to talk to Lily this morning before shooting begins”  
“Yes we don’t want to keep him waiting” she said.  
“See you later then and congratulations” Benedict replied. He was just glad that conversation was over with.


	47. How Can I Help?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon needs Lily's help when Claire encounters a difficult scene

Things were now progressing well on the movie despite the initial setbacks. So far the scenes they had filmed were the easier ones to do, the fluffy scenes as opposed to the main dramatic heart wrenching scenes. It was time to film the scene where Danielle tells Charlie she is leaving him and staying with her husband Julien. This was why Jon had wanted to see Lily this morning.

This was one area where the movie was changed slightly from the book. In the book, Lily had Danielle tell Charlie over the phone as she was in Canada and he was in London.   
When they wrote the screenplay the decided this was too large of a scene to not have the intensity of Charlie and Danielle being together. They wrote in that Charlie had come home with Danielle when she was supposed to be leaving Julien.

“Good morning Lily” Jon greeted her. “Thanks for coming in a bit early to meet with me” he said.  
“No problem Jon, anyway I can help” she said.  
“I wanted to talk to you about the upcoming scene.”   
“What about it?” she asked.  
“I know we changed the scene to a face to face discussion and I’m afraid it may be difficult for Claire and Benedict to get the right emotions in the scene. I want to make sure it has the same intensity as it would have if you have initially written it this way”

“I’m sure they should be able to manage it, but if there is an issue what did you want me to do?” she asked.  
“Well what I really want initially is for you to pay particular attention to this scene and give me your opinion afterwards. I want to make sure we get this one right so don’t be afraid to tell me what you really think”

“No problem Jon, I can do that. As long as I know that’s what you want I have no problem being critical if it is called for. I agree this is a major scene and we need to get it right”  
“Perfect okay then let’s go make some movie magic” he said as he motioned Lily out of the trailer and onto the set. 

As they started the scene, Claire was trying to tell Benedict how much she loved him but how she needed to try to make another go of her marriage. Benedict was trying to convince her to stay. Both Claire and Benedict were great actors and they were very believable, but Lily could tell something was missing. When she wrote these words her heart almost broke as she took on the feelings of her characters. She could tell that Claire wasn’t as emotionally involved. She could tell Claire was someone who never experienced this kind of emotional pain therefore she wasn’t able to tap into its intensity. 

Benedict was feeding off of what Claire was giving him. It didn’t make sense for him to be more emotionally invested than she was so therefore his character didn’t come off as strong either. After a couple of takes, Lily went to talk to Jon.

“Jon, are you feeling the same about this scene as I am?” she asked.  
“Maybe, what is it you are feeling?” he asked.

“I love Claire and think she has done a great job so far, but I don’t feel like she has taped into the desperation and anxiety that Danielle has at the moment she is breaking Charlie’s heart. Charlie’s reaction depends on how much anxiety Danielle has and if Claire cant tap into that, then Benedict can’t get to the emotion he needs.”

“I knew there was something missing but couldn’t quite put my finger on it. You are right. I don’t feel Danielle’s desperation. See that’s why I talked to you this morning as I had a feeling this scene was going to give us a problem”

“I know I was crying when I wrote these words and I don’t feel like that when I see it live. If anything it should be even stronger seeing it in person. Would you mind if I try to see if I can help Claire?” Lily asked.

“Not at all, please do” he said. “I’m willing to try whatever will work”

Lily made her way over to where Claire and Benedict were.  
“Hi Guys”   
‘Hey Lily, what’s up?” Claire said.  
“Hi Lil” Benedict added

“You know this was one of the scenes we changed from the book because we felt the intensity of this discussion would be increased if it was in person rather than over the phone. It was pretty intense before we changed it as this was the part of the story that impacted me the most as I was writing it. This is the part of the story that fans tell me is the most impactful one.” She stopped for a moment to see if they understood her.

“Absolutely” Claire said, “Was there something wrong with the takes we did?”

“Not wrong really, but they just didn’t invoke the same feelings in me and Jon agreed”  
“So what do you think it missing?” Benedict asked.  
“Well, Claire if I can be honest, I am not sure you have hit on the devastation that Danielle is feeling. She has found someone who makes her profoundly happy, she loves him with all her heart and more than anyone she has ever loved before. But now she has to break his heart all because she feels she needs to honor her commitment to her family. She is in serious emotional turmoil and every part of her wants nothing more than to jump into Charlie’s arms and not say the words she needs to say to him.”

“Wow, it does take on a new meaning when you say it like that” Claire said.  
“I am sure you have never had to make such a decision before which is probably why you are finding it difficult. Try it again now and see if it makes a difference”

Lily stepped back off stage as Claire and Benedict set up to try the scene again. It was better this time. Claire’s words were more intense, there was more desperation in her voice, but her body language still did not convey the same sentiment. Lily went back after that take.

“That was better Claire” she said, “you’re tone and words were more believable. Your body language is still not quite convincing though” 

“Lily,” Jon said “I agree with you. Can you step in and show Claire what you mean?”

“Me?” she asked. “Okay I guess I could” Lily was nervous having to ‘Act’ with Benedict but she knew she would be able to show Claire what she needed to do. Lily certainly had experienced this before and could relieve those moments easily. “Just give me one minute first” she said.   
Lily needed a minute or two to compose herself. No one knew how doing this scene could potentially bring up things from her past that she didn’t want to share.


	48. Lily's Moment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily tries to show Claire how to feel the words she has written and instead shows herself something she didnt want to see.

Lily had never told anyone the reason she wasn’t with her husband anymore. She left him because she wanted more out of life than she could give. To be more precise, she wanted the feelings that she was getting from Benedict to come from her husband and he just wasn’t capable of giving that to her. 

She had ‘fallen in love’ with Benedict through his work and her writing. Her heart was no longer with her husband. She had stayed with him trying to make it work for the year it had taken her to write her book. What she realized in the end was that she couldn’t stay just because of her loyalty and her vows. For that one long year though, she went through much heart break wanting what she couldn’t have. She knew she could show them that pain easily enough, but she also knew this would bring up feelings for Benedict that she had long ago tried to bury. After just making a commitment to Daniel, she was afraid what this scene would do to her.

Lily took a moment to catch her breath and clear her mind and she signalled to the others that she was ready. It was important to her movie that she be able to do this. She joined Ben on stage took his hands and said:

“So, it means I can’t be with you anymore. I need to give my marriage another shot” she said sobbing uncontrollably.

“Danielle, you can’t mean it. You have to think about yourself as well as your kids. Do you believe he can truly make you as happy as you are with me?” We could hear the tears in Benedict’s voice as well. 

“As happy, no Benedict, I don’t think anyone can make me as happy as you do, but in this case I have to settle for ordinary happy. If I had been happy to start with, I wouldn’t have gone looking for you and I would not have known the sheer ecstasy I would find in your arms. It would have been good enough, so now it has to be good enough”

“Oh Lily, you are so wrong. My darling you are breaking my heart. You are my world; I can’t function in it without you anymore. You deserve to be as happy as you can possibly be and you know that is with me.”

“Sometimes doing the right thing is very hard, but it doesn’t make it any less right. I will always love you Benedict. You have taken over a place in my heart where you will always stay. I only have one regret about us being together, and that is the pain that this is causing us right now. I feel it too, my heart is breaking also, but it has to be. I will cherish all the memories of the time I have spent with you until I the time that I pass on to another life.”

“Well, I know you are wrong, I know we belong together and I know Julien will never be able to make you happy. But, I will abide by your wishes and allow you to get back to your husband without any interference. Promise me one thing though?” he asked

“Anything my luv, what?”  
“That the day he breaks your heart again, that you will come back to me immediately, as I will be waiting for you” he said.

At that point, Benedict reached down and lifted Lily’s chin up so he could look into her eyes as he placed a passionate kiss on her mouth. This was the kiss Lily had been longing for. She felt as if Benedict had reached into her soul. She knew she had been keeping her feelings for him hidden, but this kiss released them. She responded to him in a way she had never kissed anyone else before. It was not just her mouth; it was touching him with her heart.

Lily broke away from Benedict afraid of what just happened. She was momentarily stunned by the situation and had forgotten what had just happened on set. Jon and the other cast members had stopped and they were all clapping wildly.

“Lily, Benedict, that was amazing!”   
“Ah… thanks I guess” Lily said.  
‘I see what you mean now Lily” Claire said. “Not sure I can repeat that but I know now what I am aiming for.”

“I would like to break here for lunch” Jon said “Everyone be back here in an hour” Jon’s real motive for breaking for lunch was that he needed to talk to Jacob. An idea just came to him and he needed to see what Jacob thought about it.

Lily took off as fast as she could without making it look obvious that she was running away. She needed to get back to her trailer and away from Benedict. Too much of her true feelings came out at that moment and she was afraid of what he felt and afraid of what he thought.

As she got to her trailer, Cassie was waiting inside and could see the look or horror on her face.

“Lily what happened?” 

“Oh Cassie just about the worst thing possible” she said. “Jon and I agreed that Claire was not putting enough emotional intensity into the breakup scene with Benedict. He had nothing to play off of. So Jon asked me if I could show Claire how to respond with the proper body language by reading the scene with Benedict. I knew it was a bad idea but I had no choice or else it would look suspicious and it was very important that Claire get this scene just right” 

“Oh Lily I can see where this is going. Tell me what happened next?”

“I went up on stage, held Benedict’s hands and looked him in the eyes. I spoke the words I had written, the words that had brought me to tears. Benedict responded exactly as he should have and when he delivered his last line in the scene he reached down and kissed me. It wasn’t just a screen kiss; it was a kiss that pulled out all of the feelings I have had for him and had buried for a long time.”

“And how did he react?”

“His kiss was as intense as mine. I am sure it’s just because he was a good actor. I didn’t stick around as I was too embarrassed” Lily said “Jon and the others clapped loudly though and said it was awesome and then Jon said he wanted a 1 hr. break and I left as fast as I could”

“I am sure he felt something also. I see how he looks at you” Cassie said.

“Well he didn’t pull back out of the kiss and it did feel amazing. But he just spent last night with Alice so I know he doesn’t really have feelings for me. If he did he would have said something to me by now.”

“You don’t know what happened on his date with Alice. Maybe they are just friends.”

“It doesn’t matter now Cassie, I told Daniel I was committed to trying a relationship and I can’t turn away from him”

“I think you are fooling yourself Lily but it’s your choice and I will stand by you no matter what”

“Thank you Cassie, I know I can always count on you” Lily said.

Just as she reached out to hug Cassie there was a loud knock on the door. 

“Lily are you in there? We need to talk”. It was Benedict and he sounded like he wasn’t going to take no for an answer.


	49. Benedict Wants to Know

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the kiss, Benedict is demanding answers from Lily

“Benedict” Lily replied, “I am not sure now is a good time. Can we talk later?” she asked trying to delay their discussion.

“No Lily I think we need to talk now. Please let me come in.” He wasn’t going away.

“Lily you might as well talk to him and hear what he has to say. He isn’t going to give up until you do; besides you two need to clear the air.” Cassie reasoned.

“Okay” Lily sighed knowing she was going to have to go through with it.

Benedict was about to bang on the door when Lily opened it and he almost fell into the trailer.  
“Oof” he said trying to regain his footing. “You should really warn a person before you open the door”

“Sorry, I’ll remember that next time” Lily said.

“Excuse me Benedict but I think I have something I need to go do” Cassie said as she made herself disappear.

“So what is so important you needed to see me right now?” Lily asked trying to pretend she didn’t know why he was there.

“I think you know what we need to talk about Lily. We need to talk about that kiss”  
“And why do we need to do that? We were just acting out a scene. It didn’t mean anything” she said trying to deflect the tension. 

“You were really acting there were you?” he said “That felt very passionate and meaningful to me. When did you get to be such a good actor?” he grinned with sarcasm.

“Don’t be a tart Benedict. Any woman can pretend to have feelings for a man even though she doesn’t. It’s a talent we are born with. Men are the ones who often have more difficulty masking their true feelings. Besides, wasn’t it obvious enough this morning that I am with Daniel? Why would I instantly be in love with you 2 seconds after going public with my relationship with Daniel?”

“I don’t know Lily, I only know what I felt from you and that was why I had to ask”  
“Well I think it would be more appropriate for you to be talking to your girlfriend about her feelings than asking about mine” she retorted.

“What girlfriend? Lily you know I’m not involved with anyone”  
“Funny you and Alice seemed very involved last night on TV.”  
“Lily, nothing was going on there although perhaps that will have to change.”  
“And what does that mean?” she asked

“Well since everyone seems to think we are a couple and you are allowed now to go around kissing me without it meaning anything, than I think I should get friendly with Alice so I have someone to comfort me at the end of the day. Seems like I am losing my friend anyway”

“Benedict I don’t want to lose you as a friend. I don’t see why we have to. I think this whole thing got blown out of proportion. As friends we don’t have a right to meddle in each other’s personal lives and the kiss we had was a screen kiss and nothing more.”

“I don’t want to lose you either Lily. Can we call this a draw and go back to how things were?”  
“I’d like that” she said  
“Me too. Now is it appropriate for me to give my friend a hug and congratulate her on an outstanding performance just now?”

“Sure” she said allowing him to put his arms around her. She couldn’t say no but one hug from Benedict was worth a thousand kisses from Daniel. This would change with time, she hoped.

“Do you really think I did a good job?” she asked  
“Absolutely! Did you hear everyone clapping when we were done? It was so much easier to react to you than it was with Claire. She just wasn’t as believable as you were”

“Wow, who knew?” Lily laughed. “I guess since the story is my words and feelings it was just easier for me to do it than it was for Claire. But she will learn”

“Let’s hope so” he said. “Now let’s get back out there before your boyfriend gets jealous and comes after me with a baseball bat” he grinned.  
“Probably a good idea”

As the exited the trailer, Daniel was just approaching as he was looking for Lily. She ran up to him and gave him a big kiss. The look on his face was one of surprise. He had just witnessed her passionately kissing another man, and now she was kissing him. What was up?

“Daniel honey, I am so glad to see you” Lily said.   
“I was looking all over for you” Daniel replied  
.  
“Sorry but I was talking to Cassie and then Benedict stopped by to tell me what a good job I did in the rehearsal. We were just heading back to find you” she said and then she whispered in his ear, “No need to worry dear. The kiss meant nothing to me. I was thinking about kissing you for my motivation.” 

He knew it wasn’t true but he appreciated her trying. “Mmmm I like the sound of that” he said slightly growling in her ear making her laugh.

Just then Jon showed up out of nowhere. “My god you three are hard to find” he said.  
“I need you all to come with me. I gave the rest of the cast and crew the rest of the day off because there are some changes I want to talk to you all about.”

“Okay” Lily and Daniel said at the same time.   
“What kind of changes Jon?” Benedict asked  
“Wait until we get back and talk with Jacob as we need to discuss it all together.

“Okay let’s go see what the mystery is” Benedict said as they all headed back to the production trailer.


	50. Jon and Jacob's Big News

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon and Jacob have an offer for Lily which surprises everyone

When the three of them entered the trailer, Jon and Jacob were sitting there with big smiles on their faces.

“You two look like you are up to something. Should we be afraid?” Benedict asked.

“No not afraid but you will find what we have to tell you mind-blowing I believe. Wouldn’t you agree Jacob?” Jon said

“Yes I believe mind-blowing would be an accurate word to describe the situation” he agreed.

“Okay gentleman, stop with the theatrics and tell us what is going on” Daniel spoke up

“Fair enough. Benedict, tell us how it felt doing that last scene with Lily?” Jon asked.

“Well…” Benedict hesitated, he couldn’t tell them exactly how it felt or his feelings for Lily would be obvious to all of them. “I guess the best way to describe it was that it felt natural. I could feel the emotion coming from her that if I am honest I wasn’t getting from Claire. It made it easier for me to reach the same intensity. I felt my performance was better when I was doing the scene with Lily”

“And Lily, since this was your first time participating in a movie scene, how did you feel?” Jacob asked.

“I felt very nervous at first because I knew everyone would be watching, but I have to admit that I really enjoyed it. It felt so empowering to say out loud the words that I wrote since I have said them so many times in my head. After the first couple of lines, I completely forgot there was a camera on me and got lost in the dialogue instead” Lily replied.

“That’s what we thought” Jon commented. “We also felt that the scene you two did together was amazing. It far outshone any other scene from the movie. The chemistry between the two of you is outstanding. It’s like these words for written for the two of you.” 

Lily almost choked when Jon said this. She couldn’t look at Benedict right then because she was afraid her eyes would give her away.

“So Jon, are you saying you want me to continue to coach Claire on how to deliver the emotion of Danielle?” Lily asked.

“Actually what I am saying Lily, is that Jacob and I want you to become Danielle. We would like you to take over the lead in the movie!” Jon stunned everyone with his comment and Jacob smiled and nodded in agreement.  
“Me? But how could I? I’m not an actress?” Lily argued.  
“You sure looked like one today my dear” Jacob replied.

“But that was one scene, how do you know I can do others?” she asked  
“We don’t but we have faith we can show you how. It is easier to teach technique than it is emotion.” Jon said.

It was Benedict’s turn to comment “Lily I am as surprised by this as you are, but, I have to say I agree with them. You have an honesty about you that brings out the emotion we need and since these are you words, you know them better than anyone else.”

Lily looked at Daniel, “What do you think?” 

Daniel had all kind of thoughts right then, the biggest of them was would this bring her and Benedict closer together and would he lose her? But he also knew this movie needed her. He could only think about what an opportunity it would be. “Lily, I think you need to do this. The acting classes you took have prepared you probably more than you think and I believe Benedict is right- these are your words so who better than you to speak them”

“Well, it seems like you all have your minds made up. I am still not sure this is a good thing. What about Claire and the shots we have already taken?”

“We only have to reshoot the pieces involving Danielle directly. And don’t worry about Claire, we will ensure she is compensated for her inconvenience. Yes it will mean more work, but Lily we have discussed it and I am confident our backers won’t have any problem okaying the extra funding when they see the clip of you and Benedict together. The money is my job and I’m not worried in fact I am excited by this change.” Jon said.

“So Lily” Benedict said as he looked deeply into her eyes, “Will you be my Danielle?”

Lily was surprised she could get the words out after the look he gave her made her weak in the knees, but somehow she managed to say “Yes. Yes I will.”

The whole group erupted into cheers and applause as Lily blushed. “You will have to get used to all this adoration Lily as there will be plenty more of it once the movie comes out.” Jon commented.

“I don’t think I could ever get used to this, but we will see.” She replied.

“Okay you two” Jon said looking at Lily and Benedict, “Enjoy the rest of today as tomorrow begins a whole lot of hard work for both of you. Daniel, Jacob and I will need you to stay with us so we can take care of all the paperwork and get Lily a new contract made up.”

“Sure” Daniel agreed and then he turned to Lily “I am so proud of you my dear” as he wrapped his arms around her and planted a very excited kiss on her lips. 

“Oh is this a new development?” Jacob asked

“Yes” Daniel replied. “Lily has agreed to be my girlfriend and I couldn’t be any happier”  
“Yes, Daniel and I are beginning a new phase to our relationship” she said grinning from ear to ear. They all thought it was because of Daniel but Lily was really smiling about the thought of her now being an actress.

“I have to go Daniel, I need to tell Cassie. She will flip!” Lily said as she headed towards the door.   
“Wait for me I need to see the look on her face when you tell her” Benedict added.  
“I’ll phone you when we are done darling so we can properly celebrate” Daniel called after her.   
“I’ll be waiting” she called out over her shoulder as she and Benedict made their way to her trailer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank to everyone who has posted comments to date. Please keep them coming I really like the feedback.


	51. Sharing the News

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily tells Cassie her great news as Benedict plans a celebration

Cassie was sitting quietly in Lily’s trailer checking her emails when she heard this loud noise outside. It sounded like people running and laughing and very excited. She jumped out of her chair as the door to the trailer sprung open and she found out the “noisemakers” were none other than Lily and Benedict.

“Good God you two, you scared the crap out of me! What’s going on?” Cassie asked

“So much good news, Cassie, you won’t believe it.” Lily started  
“Yes you are going to be so proud of her Cassie” Benedict chimed in.  
“Well take a deep breath so I can understand and tell me!” Cassie prodded.

“While we were in here chatting earlier, Jon and Jacob were discussing the scene I did with Benedict. They asked Benedict and I what we thought about the scene” Lily began

“…and I said Lily was magnificent and that I acted better because of her” Benedict added.  
“And I said it felt so good to say the words I wrote and I was surprised how much easier it was than what I thought it would be” Lily said.

“So why did they ask that?” Cassie asked.  
“They asked us because…they want Lily/Me to take over as Danielle!” Lily and Benedict both screamed out at the exact same time.

“OMG Lily that’s fantastic!” Cassie squealed and then she said “That is fantastic right? You did say yes, right?”  
“Yes I did. After a lot of questions and major reassurances from this one” she said pointing at Ben, “and from the others” 

“I am so happy. I never expected this Lily but I know you will do a great job” Cassie replied.

“Yes she will. It was easy to see that these words meant so much to her as she instantly became a star” Benedict added.

“Yes darling” Lily drawled in a thick snooty accent, “I am a star now so ya’ll better worship at my feet!” she couldn’t do it with a straight face and she instantly broke out in laughter. Both Cassie and Ben started roaring too.

Once they could compose themselves Cassie asked “Okay, now how can we celebrate?’ 

“Well Jon did give us the rest of the day off, and it is still early, we could go somewhere special and celebrate” Benedict said.

“Too bad Daniel has to work, but I can celebrate with him afterwards I guess” Lily commented.

“I know exactly what we can do” Benedict said. ‘You girls change into something comfortable and meet me at my trailer in 30 mins. I will have a surprise for you” 

“Ooo something secret, count me in” Cassie said.  
“I’m a little worried about what you have in mind Benedict but I will trust you” Lily said. “See you in 30 mins”

Benedict took off out of the trailer, leaving Cassie and Lily to have a chat.

“Lily you know how happy I am for you but I am also a little worried. Do you think you can do this without your feelings for Benedict getting in the way?”

“I thought about that and also how Daniel would feel about me doing these scenes with Benedict. Daniel actually encouraged me to do it and I thought that maybe playing out the feelings with Ben would actually get them out of my system in a harmless way. I won’t have to fantasize anymore because it will have happened and so the excitement will no longer exist.”

“You really think so?’ Cassie asked with a very skeptical look on her face. “I think it’s only going to bring the two of you closer. But since I am such a believer in fate, if that is what is meant to happen then it will happen no matter what. So go ahead and be a famous movie star just don’t forget me when you are even more famous than you are now”

“Cassie you are a nut. Let’s get ready in case Benedict is on time for a change” Lily said laughing.


	52. Celebration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Benedict takes Lily to a special place for a celebration with some friends but it is Daniel who gets the surprise

The girls met Ben at his trailer and he ushered them into his private car waiting there for them. Benedict would not give any hints as to where they were going but soon they could see water ahead and realized they headed out to the marina. 

“Oh are we going on a boat?” Lily asked  
“Would you like that?’ Benedict asked her  
“Yes very much. I love the water”  
“Good because I have a friend who has a yacht and I thought we would celebrate on the water.”

“Oh I am so excited!” Cassie said “I have never been on a yacht”  
“Me either!” Lily replied.

They parked the car and headed to the dock. Benedict led them to the boat named “Dream Lady” and motioned for them to climb aboard.

As they stepped onto the deck, Lily could see that there were others on board.  
“Who’s here Benedict?” she asked

“Oh just a few friends” he said coyly. “Can’t celebrate without friends can we?” 

Right on cue, Amanda and Martin stepped out of the galley with Tim and Wanda right behind them.

“Amanda, Martin I can’t believe you are here” Lily said “And Wanda and Tim. I can’t believe Benedict dragged you all out here for this silly thing”

Amanda stepped up and gave Lily a hug “Silly nothing girl! You just landed a major movie role and call it a silly thing! I am jealous at the thought of it!” she said

“Oh I am sure I won’t do half as well as you would have Amanda” Lily said modestly  
“You will be fabulous” a voice said from behind her as Wanda stepped in for her hug.

“Oh Wanda thank you so much. I feel like a poser though, taking on a big role way outside of my talent zone when you all are so brilliant already.”

“Nonsense luv” Martin joined in “I know Jon and he wouldn’t risk his reputation on a no- talent. You must have really blown his socks off for him to offer this to you”

“Thank you Martin” Lily said wrapping her arms around him.  
“Don’t forget the old man” Tim said stretching out his arms for his hug  
“How could I ever forget you?” Lily said and not only gave him a hug but a peck on the cheek as well.  
“Hey now” Benedict called out “Hands off my Dad. You can’t have all the men”   
“Yes save some for me” Cassie interjected.  
“Oh sorry Cassie, let me introduce you to everyone” Lily replied.

“It’s okay Lily, I know who all these wonderful people are” she said reaching her hand out to each one “Martin and Amanda I adore your work- not just Sherlock but Mr. Selfridge and the Hobbit. And Tim and Wanda- you too were amazing as Ben’s parents on Sherlock but then I guess you have had lots of practice.”

“Nice to meet you Cassie” Martin spoke first. “You must be so proud of Lily”  
“Oh I am. But then I always knew she was destined for greater things” she said

“Okay you guys. You are embarrassing me. Can we talk about something else?” Lily said trying to turn the attention away from herself.

“Nope, sorry. Today is all about you my dear” Benedict said as he passed champagne around to everyone.

“A toast” he said “To our Lily. May this be the beginning of a very successful acting career- if she still wants it by the time we get through with her!” he laughed.

“To Lily!” they all echoed as the glasses clinked and the champagne got swallowed.

Benedict had also arranged for food to be brought on board so they spent the next while eating and toasting Lily as they all asked questions about how the offer came about. Later, when Lily wandered off into the bathroom of the ship, Benedict was waiting for her when she got out.

“So tell me my dear, how do you really feel about all of this? Today as been such a whirlwind for you” 

“I don’t honestly know Benedict. I am happy, scared, excited, and nervous. I feel like someone made a mistake and this will all go back to normal tomorrow as if today never happened.” She said.

“Nope I don’t think that’s going to happen luv” he said “I was there. You were amazing, is there anything you can’t do?”

“All kinds of things. Just wait you will get to see all of them.”

“How do you feel about acting with me?’ he asked “I am surprised Daniel encouraged you as I don’t think he particularly likes me and I figured he would not want us spending so much time together”

“I was surprised by his reaction also but Daniel has always wanted what is best for me.” Lily replied “As for acting with you, I think we should be okay, don’t you?”  
“Well it may be a little uncomfortable as you know we will have to do the sex scenes. You wrote them remember? I am used to playing these kinds of parts but I wasn’t sure how you would feel about them, especially with me”

“I won’t lie, it will be awkward, especially at first, but we can make it easier if we promise to communicate openly with each other. If something isn’t working we need to not be afraid to say something to each other. Can you promise me that you will do that?” she asked

“I promise, but can you promise you will do the same? You can’t clam up on me or run away.” He replied.

“I won’t. Thank you for thinking about me” she said as she reached up to give him a hug. She really had to stop doing that as it felt so good to be in his arms. Just then she looked out the window and saw Daniel looking in at them. The look on his face told her he was not too happy with what he saw.

“Daniel” Lily called, breaking away from Benedict. “You found us” she said as Daniel joined them inside.  
“Yes Cassie was good enough to text me so I could come, since you weren’t answering my messages.”

“Oh Daniel I’m sorry. I didn’t hear my phone. I am glad you are here” she said as she pulled him into a hug and a kiss. He kissed her back but she could tell his kiss was far from warm. He was pissed at her.

Sensing a tense moment, Benedict said “I’ll let you two have a moment to yourselves” as he headed back out with the others. 

“Lily, I know I said I would be patient, but I am not going to be a fool. I am not going to stand by and watch you and Benedict have whatever this fling is right in front of me and not get annoyed. I want you for myself, and yes I know you have feelings for him, but do you want this relationship or not as you can’t have both of us” he said. 

“Daniel it’s nothing like that. We were just talking about how we would manage through the love scenes in the movie. Ben thought I might find it difficult. We talked about how we needed to ensure we were honest with each other or it will never work. I was only giving him a hug to thank him for being considerate of my feelings.”

“And do you think you can remain professional Lily? I know I told you it would be good for you to take this part, and I still think it would be, but if you can’t then perhaps we should stop our relationship now before things get complicated”

“That’s not what I want Daniel, but I will understand if you want to. I knew I was asking a lot from you before and now this part will demand much more of your understanding and patience.” 

“No it’s not what I want, but can you please be a little more careful around him and limit the hugs when you aren’t on set?”  
“Of course Daniel. It’s the least I can do and I am sure Benedict will understand. Now did you meet Ben’s parents on the way in?” she asked trying to lighten the mood.

“No I didn’t but I would like to”  
“Good come let me introduce you” she replied

They walked out to the deck and Lily went over to where Tim and Wanda were standing talking to Benedict. “Tim, Wanda, I would like you both to meet someone special. This is Daniel Preston, my literary agent and my boyfriend” she said as she put her arm firmly around Daniel’s waist.


	53. Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Lily and Daniel get closer, Lily has an interesting dream

Daniel asked Lily if she would stay the night with him. He knew she wasn’t ready for any intimacy between them but he wanted to feel close to her and thought it would help her to get closer to him. 

Lily agreed as it was comforting to have a warm body to curl up with and she felt protected when she was with Daniel. She knew if she was truly going to commit to being his girlfriend things would have to develop physically between them and this was one way she could offer him a little something before she was ready for anything more.

Lily wasn’t sure if it was because she was lying so close to a male body or because of the events of the day, but that night her mind wandered down a road it hadn’t for a very long time.

She and her male partner were on a boat and were kissing very passionately. Their mouths possessed each other. Their hands wondering all over each other’s bodies feeling every inch of skin they could touch. They pulled their clothes off wildly, not caring if they ripped or not as they couldn’t wait to be skin on skin. 

His hands were on her breasts and his mouth on her neck. Then his mouth was on her breasts and his hands were on her hips. Her hands raked up and down his chest and then his hard muscular back. She grabbed at his hips pulling his hardness against her. Soon she was down on her knees with him in her mouth. Sucking and licking, she was devouring all of him. 

He picked her up and carried her to the bed in the back of the boat. When he laid her down he spread her legs and placed ravenous kisses up her inner thighs until he reached her warm wet mound. His tongue licked her in all the right places and then dove into her juicy centre bringing squeals and loud moans from deep inside of her. Her hands were in his hair, pulling his gorgeous black locks between her fingers causing him to moan uncontrollably.  
He then jumped up and straddled her as he placed his hardness at her entrance.  
“Tell me you want me” he said  
“I want you, I want you so badly!” Lily heard herself say.

In a moment he was deep inside her. His massive size was stretching her and hitting all her sensitive spots. He continued to thrust into her over and over, massaging her clit as he did. She groaned so loudly as she reached a peak she never knew possible. As she climaxed, she tightened around him bringing out his own climax. 

“Oh God Lily” he said as he emptied himself inside of her.  
“Oh God Benedict!” she hollered. As she did, Lily sat straight up in her bed. She hadn’t seen the person’s face in her dream but assumed it was Daniel until the last moment, which shook her wide awake.

“Lily, what’s wrong?” Daniel asked as he woke to find her sitting up and shaking.  
“A bad dream, Daniel, a very bad dream” she said as she started sobbing.  
“Oh Lily I’m sure it was nothing to worry about” he said as he wrapped his arms around her and buried her face into his chest. They stayed like that for 10 mins before she could compose herself enough to pull away.

“Do you want to tell me what it was about?” he asked not wanting to push her if she wasn’t ready to confide in him.  
“It was silly, it was just one of those dreams where you think it’s a nice dream and then it turns evil and scares the crap out of you.” She thought by describing it this way he would think it was a horror type dream and not ask anything more, and it worked.

“Well you are safe here with me Lily” he said as he kissed the top of her head and pulled her back down to him “Try to get some sleep honey as tomorrow will be a very busy day for you” 

Lily lay down beside him but she was still keyed up from her dream. The dream had shocked her into thinking about her feelings for Benedict again. It was so real, like she could feel every inch of him. She could swear she could smell his warm musky scent. She knew it wasn’t Daniel because his scent was much different than Benedict’s. Every fibre of her being wanted to be with him. It was going to be so hard to try to get rid of these feelings and be with Daniel. What on earth would tomorrow be like?!”


	54. Preparing to Shoot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily starts getting ready for her role.

The next couple of days were like a cyclone had hit Lily’s life. Not only did she have to make sure she knew the lines she would be saying-that was the easier part- but she had to learn how to position herself for the camera too. This was something they touched on in drama class but she never had any real experience with it.

Besides acting, she had to do numerous wardrobe fittings. Thankfully she and Claire were close to the same size so only minor alterations were needed. Then there was also hair and makeup each day. Lily had never had so many strange hands working on her all at the same time before. Part of it made her feel glamorous but most of the time she just felt like a dress up toy.

Because she was so new to acting, they hired Lily an acting coach. Well they didn’t exactly hire someone. Lily knew she needed someone she could be comfortable with so she asked them if she could have Amanda help her out. Amanda was between jobs and Lily trusted her and thought her acting was fantastic. So the studio offered Amanda a job as an acting coach and she accepted.

Amanda was thrilled to help Lily out as she liked Lily. She also thought a lot of Ben and anything she could do to help those two get to where they belonged she wouldn’t hesitate to try. Martin kept telling her to mind her own business but Amanda was quick to let him know she never minded her own business before and she wasn’t about to start now.

Benedict was the other bright point of her day. He was so kind and wanted so much for her to succeed in this role that he helped her out in any way he could. He didn’t have to do too much though as Lily was picking up on what she needed to do very quickly. She may not have the natural instinct on what to do, but Jon said she was a director’s dream as she took direction amazingly well. He only had to tell her once what he wanted and she had it. So far it wasn’t too hard to keep her thoughts about Benedict to herself and she hoped it stayed that way. She didn’t know how she would manage if she couldn’t.

Lily was surprised at how much easier it was to act out the scenes than she thought it would be. Perhaps it was because it was her story she was delivering but she understood the directions Jon was giving her and she responded accordingly. She also found Benedict very easy to act with but then she had expected that as he was an amazing actor. He knew just what to say and how to say it and he also said again how he found Lily gave him exactly what he needed to reach his best.

Lily and Daniel’s relationship was doing as well as could be expected. It had not escalated back into a physical relationship but Lily spent most nights with Daniel. They ate meals together whenever she was available, which wasn’t a huge amount these days, and they were starting to develop into a couple. Lily enjoyed spending time with Daniel as he always made her feel special. 

Daniel was feeling less jealous of Benedict the more time he spent with Lily. True to her word, there were no more hugs in public between the two of them and the only time they really spent together was onset. Daniel also felt like he and Lily were getting closer. He enjoyed having her in his bed even if they weren’t having sex. At least if she was in his bed, he knew she wasn’t in anyone else’s. She was also being more affectionate towards him. Lots of hugs and kisses, holding hands, and intimate touches passed between them. The world now knew she was his girl.

The scenes Lily had filmed so far with Benedict were not the major scenes in the movie so they didn’t involve any intense dialogue or feelings so far. They shot the scenes with Danielle and Julien- played by Tom Ellis- and the telephone scenes between Danielle and Charlie. They shot the scenes in London where that took place in Charlie’s home, and some of the sightseeing scenes where they got to shoot the Parliament, Big Ben and several other iconic London places. The scenes that were coming up were going to get much more intense as they involved the discussions between Charlie and Danielle regarding their feelings for each other. These were the scenes Lily was most concerned about. Time was coming that was going to really put Lily’s acting skills to the test as she had to act like she was in love with Charlie the character yet act like she wasn’t in love with Benedict the actor at the same time. If she could pull this off she would deserve an Oscar


	55. Hair Makeup Lingerie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily gets set both physically and mentally for her first sex scene

Amanda was very helpful as a coach, she knew what I needed to learn and she practised scenes with me over and over until I got them just right. By the time I needed to do them onset, she had made me a pro.

Amanda’s and my biggest challenge was coming up the next day. We would be shooting the bedroom scene, the scene where Danielle and Charlie make love for the first time. Amanda knew this would be difficult one as it is hard for any actor but it will be especially hard for me since I have these feelings for Benedict. 

“So Lily, how are we going to manage to keep you sane throughout this shoot?”   
“Don’t know Amanda but I think it is best if we try not to make such a big deal about it. The more we dwell on hard it will be, the more I will get nervous about how hard it will be”

“You are probably right, although I don’t know why you just don’t confess to Benedict that the story is about him. I am sure he would be flattered and you would have that monkey off of your back. Unless there is another reason you don’t want to tell him?” she said smiling at Lily.

“No Amanda there is no other reason, now can we get to work. I have a lot to learn.”  
“Certainly my dear”she replied.

The next morning shooting was scheduled to start at 9am. Amanda and Lily and reviewed the scene over and over for 5 hrs trying to get it just right. Amanda finally told Lily she was as ready as she could be as she would have to allow herself some room to respond to Benedict as well. Lily then had gone home and she and Cassie had talked and talked about how she could deliver this scene without getting herself hurt in the process. Lily had told Daniel she needed to sleep in her own bed that night as she needed to get lots of rest and she would feel more comfortable there. She didn’t tell him what scene they were doing as she didn’t want him to get upset. In this case she figured what he didn’t know he couldn’t stew about.

Lily was on set at 6am. She spent an hour and a half in hair and makeup and then another hour in wardrobe. They already know what dress she would be wearing from the party scene but they had to get her underwear just right- both the items you would see in the movie and the tiny pieces that you wouldn’t see, so it would appear she was naked. She felt terribly uncomfortable in them as she wasn’t used to showing this much of herself to anyone. She knew it would get easier though once she got on the set as she would forget what she was wearing the moment she looked into Benedict’s eyes. 

Lily knew that she would not have any trouble acting like she was in love with Charlie, it would be very easy. She had to make sure she didn’t reveal too much. As she made her way to the set she saw that Benedict was already there in his dark suit. She wondered if he was nervous too as he was never early to set, he was usually the one they waited for.

“Wow, Lily, I forgot how good that dress looked on you” he said as she approached.  
“Thank you Benedict. You look very dapper in your suit also but then I have never seen you look anything less, when it comes to suits.” She said.  
“Yes I guess I was made for formal attire, must be the posh boy in me” he joked. 

Then he got a more serious look when he asked her “Are you prepared for this Lily? I know my first sex scene was hard and I wasn’t doing it with a friend.”  
“I am nervous Benedict, but Amanda prepared me well so I think I will be fine.”  
“Well I will do everything I can to help out as well just remember to let me know what you need luv” he said.  
“Will do” she replied as just then Jon and Jacob and the crew joined them onset.


	56. Revelation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily and Benedict film their first sex scene which caused Benedict to have a revelation of his own.

They stood next to the bed which was supposed to be Charlie’s bed, in Charlie’s bedroom. The set was done up in majestic reds and golds like Lily’s description in the book. She was in awe of how they were able to bring to life the room from her imagination based on the words she wrote.

The cameras were all in place and the set was cleared of as many people as possible to allow Lily and Benedict some privacy. Jon looked at Benedict and then Lily, “Ready?” he asked. Lily nodded and Jon called “Action”

Benedict lifted Lily’s chin up so she was looking up at him as he starred at her with that look she had always wanted from. It was even more intense this time than before as she could see his eyes were filled with lust. The second his lips touched hers, she was no longer Lily playing a part, she was Lily the woman who wanted this man desperately.   
As he kissed down her neck, she could feel her legs weaken. When he looked up at her asking permission to remove her gown, she nodded in agreement as her dress fell to the floor. 

Lily wasn’t shy like she thought she would be because as far as she was concerned there was no one there but Benedict and herself. When he said his lines telling her how beautiful she was, she almost melted in his arms, thankful that this was when he was to pick her up and place her on the bed. Then he uttered the words she had longed to hear “I told you, you were the woman I wanted to share this bed with” and she replied “And I wanted to be the one to share it with you”.

Jon yelled cut. People started clapping again.   
“Lily and Benedict that was incredible” Jon said “There certainly was no doubt as to what Danielle and Charlie were feeling at that moment. You couldn’t have done it any better if you were really in love. Give us a moment to change the camera angles and we will start from here”

Benedict looked at Lily and wondered what was going through her mind. He knew what was going through his. As he spoke the words to her, something inside of him changed. He always committed to a part in order to do his best, but in this case he didn’t feel like he needed to commit, it seemed so natural. As he placed Lily on the bed he felt like this was exactly where he needed to be. How and when did this happen? When did he get this intense passion for her? And more importantly, was she feeling the same for him?

“You okay Lily?” he asked. “You look a little flushed”  
“Yes I’m fine” she said, lying through her teeth. What could she say? They had so much more to do today. 

Jon called them back to set than. Now the hard part, when they needed to remove each other’s clothes and fondle each other in front of the crew. Lily wasn’t nervous about doing this in front of others, she was just nervous about doing it with Benedict. 

When Jon called action again, Lily and Benedict started to remove each other’s clothes. The little fabric pieces that were there to hide their most intimate parts did not hide much. As Lily removed Benedict’s clothes, she couldn’t help but reach out and touch him; she had wanted to for so long and this was likely going to be her only chance. His chest was rock hard and felt amazing to her touch. She knew she was getting wet but she couldn’t control it.

Benedict’s strong hands caressed the silk of her lingerie and then her bare skin as he removed her clothing. He had never seen anything more beautiful, and he couldn’t control the raging erection that was forming in his pants. He wasn’t able to touch her nipples due to the wardrobe pieces but he touched her breasts with his hands and his mouth. 

Normally in sex scenes, the actors would not always touch but instead just make it look like they were, in this case, there was no acting. Lily and Benedict were touching each other in the most intimate ways as they got lost in their passion for each other. 

While Benedict could not touch her with his tongue the way he wanted to, that did not stop her from reaching her orgasm. He was so close and his breath was so warm on her skin, that she couldn’t help herself. She tried to pretend she was acting, but it was real.  
Benedict too had a hard time controlling himself. He wanted to be inside of her so badly, but he couldn’t. Pretending he was doing so, did not help as it only made him want her more.   
As they finished the scene collapsing in each other’s arms, something inside of him clicked. His mind flashed back to some of the earlier scenes they had done and he knew now what was going on and why he felt this way. He whispered in Lily’s ear, “We need to talk!”


	57. Confessions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Benedict asks Lily some tough questions and he isnt settling for anything less than the truth.

When Jon called cut this time, he also called for a 20 min break. He could tell these scenes were taking a toll on his actors and he wanted them to a moment to collect themselves before they moved on. He didn’t realize exactly what was going on but he knew it wasn’t normal. He just chalked it up to the fact that Lily was inexperienced and Benedict was her friend. All he knew for sure was that their scenes together were spectacular.

Cassie rushed over with Lily’s robe. Lily was feeling so self-conscious now that she regained her feel for her environment. Her first instinct was to run to her trailer but Benedict’s hand on her arm stopped her from doing that.

“No running away, remember?” he said referencing the promise she made to him earlier.  
“I remember” she said.  
“Come with me to my trailer so we can talk” he said. She noticed he wasn’t his usual gentle self. He seemed very agitated.

They entered the trailer with Lily trying to sit away from Benedict but he wasn’t letting her go. He sat right beside her so they could be close when they talked. He had something important to ask her and he wanted to see her face when he did.

“Lily I think you know why we need to talk. I think there is something you need to tell me” he said looking her directly in the eyes. 

“No, what could I have to tell you?” she asked but she lowered her head to avoid eye contact with her.

“Lily I know. But I want to hear it from you”   
“I don’t know what you mean Benedict” she said as she wasn’t exactly sure what he was referring to.

“I mean tell me who Danielle and Charlie really are. Tell me who you were thinking about when you wrote these characters.” He pressed for more information.

She lowered her head again not wanting to say the words.  
He lifted her chin up and placed a gently kiss on her lips. Then he looked at her again and asked “Who Lily, who are they? Please tell me, tell me the truth” he said. His eyes were begging her to say the words.

She finally gave in as she sensed he had figured it out.   
“They are us! Okay are you satisfied? I am Danielle and you are Charlie. Does it make you any happier now knowing the truth?” she hollered out at him. 

He didn’t answer her but instead her took her head in his hands and covered her mouth with his. He smothered her in kisses and she responded to him in the same way. When they broke free, she had tears in her eyes as did he.

“Oh Lily, I am so happy” he said and she looked back at him in surprise. “I feel so stupid that it took me this long to figure it out. No wonder it only felt right when I did these scenes with you. No wonder we were so compatible, you wrote these words for us” he continued as he reached out to kiss her again.

She broke the kiss and then looked to him and asked “You aren’t mad at me?”

“Mad, why on earth would I be mad?” he asked

“Because here I was writing a book that made up this fictional encounter about your life and I didn’t even know you. You must think I am some crazy stalker. I never meant for you to find out as I never ever expected to meet you” she replied.

“Darling, perhaps I would have thought differently if I would have known in the beginning but now that I know you, the real you, I am so happy to know you feel the same way about me. I have been hiding my feelings from you as you have expressed over and over how you didn’t want to be anything more than friends. I think today’s scene was proof to us both that we should be more than friends. Our bodies and our subconscious minds are overpowering our illogical fears. You can’t deny how you responded to me. You aren’t that good of an actor Lily” he grinned.

“Benedict, you are right. I have been trying to hide my real feelings for you because I was afraid you would reject me and I wouldn’t have been able to handle that. I couldn’t imagine why someone like you would want anything to do with a plain old someone like me.” She said.

“Lily for the last time you are not plain old someone, you are magnificent. You are kind and caring, funny, and hotter than hell. You have a gifted mind to be able to create something so beautiful between two people. Woman, get it into you head that you are someone very special and I want you all to myself!” 

Lily laughed at his use of the word “woman”. Then she looked at him through smiling eyes and said “If you really want me that badly, then I am yours!” as she threw herself into his arms. 

The two of them sat together kissing and hugging each other, not wanting to let go. The thought that they were each wearing almost nothing underneath their robes, took both of their minds to a very lustful place. Just as their hands started exploring beneath the robes, a knock at the door disturbed them. “Benedict, Lily” Cassie called out, “I hate to interrupt but Jon wants you both back on set”

‘To be continued” Benedict said as he fastened Lily’s robe tightly around her and kissed her passionately to remind her what would be waiting for her.


	58. Hold on a Minute

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Benedict tries to rush into things but Lily reminds him there is someone else they need to consider first

Jon got Lily and Benedict to see him aside from the rest of the cast and crew.  
“Something going on between you two?” he asked. “You both seemed a little weird after that last clip. Don’t get me wrong, your on-camera work was sensational but I sensed something didn’t seem right when we stopped filming”

Benedict and Lily looked at each other and grinned.   
“We had a little something we needed to straighten out” Benedict said  
“But everything is okay now” Lily added.

“You two make me nervous” he said ‘but as long as you keep giving me such great stuff I won’t worry about the rest. So let’s get back to work then we have lots to do. Back to bed you too” he said grinning.

“Yes sir, if you insist” Benedict laughed. ‘You heard the man Lily” he said as he squeezed her butt cheek as she passed him. 

Lily leaned in to whisper to Benedict “We have to keep things a secret remember there is still Daniel to consider” 

“Oops, in my excitement I forgot all about him. You’re right, I’ll behave” he said and then added “but it will be hard too” and then grinned a big smile at her.

The rest of the day’s filming went well. The nervousness was gone from both of them but now it was replaced with raw desire. They had to keep this in check though as to not reveal anything to anyone. Cassie knew something was up however and decided she needed some information from Lily. As soon as there was a break she pulled Lily aside for a chat.

“Okay Lily fess up! What happened with you and Ben in his trailer?”  
“You can’t say anything Cassie. I have to talk to Daniel…but, Benedict figured out that I wrote the book for him!”  
“And? What happened?!”   
“And… he said he was so glad because he was in love with me but thought that I didn’t want a relationship with him!”

“Oh Lily that’s awesome! I assume you told him you felt the same about him?”   
“Yes Cassie I did! It was amazing. Not only was a large weight been taken off of my shoulders but I can now be with the man I love.”

Cassie squealed with excitement as Lily shushed her to make sure no one caught on.  
“But there is one problem” Lily said.  
“What’s that?”  
“Daniel!” Lily replied. “I need to talk to Daniel and that won’t be easy”

“Oh my god you are right. Ooo that isn’t going to be pleasant. The poor man is so in love with you Lily”  
“I know and I didn’t want to hurt him. But when we started this relationship I told him I wasn’t over Benedict so he knew I had feelings for him. I just feel bad that I gave him a glimmer of hope.”

“So when are you going to talk to him?” Cassie asked.  
“As soon as we are done shooting today. I need to tell him before he finds out from anyone else and I can’t be with Benedict until I tell Daniel first. It wouldn’t be right to do otherwise.”

“You’re right” Cassie agreed.

They heard the crew calling them all back from break. As Lily was heading back she called over to Cassie “Can you please contact Daniel and tell him I would like to meet him for a drink after shooting so he doesn’t make any other plans?”

“Sure thing Lil. Go knock ‘em dead!” she said.

As Lily headed back to set she was really worried how Daniel would take things. No matter, it had to be done so it was better to do it sooner than later. If somehow someone else told him before she could it would be so much worse.


	59. The Waiting Game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben and Lily cannot consumate their new relationship until she talks to Daniel and it may not happen as soon as they thought.

When they wrapped up for the day, Benedict walked Lily back to her trailer and come in with her. As soon as the door was closed he wrapped his arms around her and covered her mouth with his own, frantically trying to devour all of her.

“Benedict!” Lily squealed as she broke away from him. “I like your thoughts Darling but you know we can’t just yet.”  
“I know but I can’t wait! I’ve been waiting for a very long time to be able to show you how I feel and now I can’t wait any longer!”  
“Come on..I think you can manage just a couple more hours” she grinned at him.

“I don’t know, see what I mean” he said pointing at the large bulge under his robe.

“Oh I see love and believe me there is a huge pool forming between my legs just for you too BUT” she said as he started to pull her close again “BUT we won’t die. We are grown-ups after all, not hormone laden teenagers. Waiting is the right thing to do. ”

“God Lily I hate it when you are all moral and right” he said feigning exasperation towards her. ‘I guess if we have to”

“Look, go have a cold shower or whatever else you would like to do to calm that thing down” she said grinning. “…and then meet me at my hotel room at 9pm. That should give me lots of time to talk to Daniel”

“Cold shower doesn’t sound like much fun; I think I’ll take the second option. Good luck my luv and if you need me before then just call and I’ll come running” he said with the most beautiful smile on his face as he reached his lips to hers once more before he left.

Lily quickly changed her clothes and headed back to the hotel. When she got to her room Cassie had some bad news for her.

“Daniel’s not here” she said. “He had to go away for a couple of days on book business. His office needed him there.”

“Oh God! I need to tell him. If I make Benedict wait any longer he might explode and I might just do the same.”

“What are you going to do now? You can’t break up with him over the phone”

“No I guess we will have to wait. Did he say when he would be back?’  
“3 days.”  
“Arggg! That’s too long. I’ll try my best but I don’t know if I can hold Benedict off. He is a very eager man” she said winking at Cassie.

“I’m sure he is” Cassie replied with a smirk on her face.

“Well I guess I might as well have a cold shower since that’s all I’ll be having tonight” Lily sighed as she headed off to the bathroom to try to wash away her desire.

Lily always did some of her most productive thinking in the shower. She was trying to decide the best thing to say to Daniel so as not to make it any harder than it was going to be on him. She really cared for Daniel and hoped he would find someone special. She knew they shouldn’t have started anything because if he was hurt now, how would they be able to continue to work together?

While Lily was contemplating their situation in her shower, Benedict was taking matters into his own hands in his shower. As he stroked himself all he could think of was Lily’s gorgeous mouth and her voluptuous breasts. He could imagine how wet she was and how delicious she would taste. His body ached for her as his thoughts brought him over the edge. He was brightened by the thought that it would only be a few more hours and they could be together. As he stepped out of the shower, he started singing one of his favorite songs. He couldnt contain his glee and soon he wouldnt have to as the whole world would know how he felt about Lily.

Lily was tired from the emotions of the day and decided to take a nap. She went straight from the shower to her bed and drifted right off to sleep. The one thing she forgot to do was to call Benedict and tell him she hadn’t talked to Daniel and that they would have to wait. If she had taken the time to do that, things may have turned out differently.


	60. Beautiful Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily falls asleep dreaming of Benedict

Cassie tried to wake up Lily but she was sound asleep. She knew the last couple of days had been very tiring for her but she also knew that things would get much better for Lily now that she and Benedict had finally been honest with each other. 

She decided to let Lily sleep as Cassie had her plans for the evening. One of the cute crew members, Chris, had invited her to go to the theatre and then a late dinner afterwards. Cassie wasn’t expecting anything amazing out of the evening but she hadn’t had a nice night out in a while so she decided to say yes. She left a note on the living room table to let Lily know where she was so she didn’t worry when she woke up. At 630pm Cassie met Chris in the lobby and they headed off to the theatre. What Cassie didn’t realize when she left was that one of Lily’s shoes had fallen into the door way and stopped the door from shutting all the way. 

At 7pm, Benedict turned up at Lily’s door. Surprised that the door wasn’t closed all the way, he knocked and entered without waiting for a response. He called out to Lily and Cassie but got no answer. He thought it was odd as Lily knew he was coming at 7pm. Perhaps she thought he would be late, as he normally was. He walked around the living room and noticed Cassie’s note on the table. As he read it he realized Lily must still be sleeping so he headed towards her room to take a peek.

As Benedict entered her bedroom he saw Lily still sleeping under the covers. She looked so lovely lying there that rather than immediately wake her, he decided he would join her. He stripped off all of his clothes except his underwear and slid between the sheets next to Lily. He discovered that she was naked under the sheets and decided he should be as well so he slipped off his briefs and tossed them on the floor beside the bed.

Lily was having a lovely dream. She was imagining herself walking down the red carpet on the way to the premier of her movie. She was dressed in a beautiful designer gown and the cameras were flashing everywhere she looked. She would have had problems walking had it not been for the strong arm that was wrapped around her waist supporting her. Benedict was by her side, the two stars of the movie walking arm in arm up the red carpet. The press was eating them up as the story of how the writer and the actor fell in love was enchanting everyone.  
As the entered the theatre, Benedict led Lily into a small room off of the lobby. Just as she was about to ask him what he was doing, he locked the door behind them and was covering her mouth with his own. He said nothing but continued to keep laying sweet gentle kisses on her mouth. She answered his kisses with her own as she sucked gently on his bottom lip bringing a moan out of him. He placed his hands on her cheeks, caressing her face with his fingers. It was her turn to let out a moan when he turned and kissed her neck and nibbled on her earlobe. 

“Oh Benedict” she said as he kept kissing down her neck. Her hands reached up to his hair, pulling on his hair and massaging his scalp. This brought out a loud growl from him “God Lily!” he said as he reacted to her touch.

It was this growl from Benedict that finally woke Lily from her dream. She opened her eyes and stared right into Benedict blue-green orbs of light. She realized that the kissing she thought she was in her dream was actually happening and she didn’t want it to stop. It was then that she realized she was naked and as she let her hands wonder under the blankets she realized he was too. 

She stopped immediately and looked at him. “Benedict, what are you doing?’ she asked  
Benedict looked at her inquisitively “What do you mean Lily? I was kissing you and you were kissing me”

“Yes I know that but how did it happen? Last thing I knew I was tired from my shower and slipped into bed for a rest and next thing I know you are in bed naked beside me.”

Benedict started to laugh. “Sorry Luv, I thought that was what you wanted. The door was open and you were here so beautiful under the covers. I just thought you fell asleep waiting for me. I thought you woke up when I kissed you because you kissed me back. I guess you were acting out of instinct” he said as he started kissing me again.

Lily broke away for a minute and said “you must be very powerful as you transmitted your desire right into my dream” she smiled.

“That’s because my desire for you is that enormous my luv” he said. Benedict tilted Lily’s chin towards the ceiling as he covered her neck with nibbles and kisses. Her skin tasted so good to him he couldn’t stop. 

Lily moaned as Benedict continued to feast on her neck. His mouth was sending shivers along her body downwards to her core. She felt like she was on fire. The passion she always felt was missing from her life was now being filled. Benedict’s mouth trailed down her neck and across her collarbone. His hands were caressing Lily’s side, one settling on her stomach and the other resting on her hip. His tongue was now making its way to her breasts. He did not touch them but instead made circles around them, licking each inch of her chest except the spot where she wanted him to touch her the most.

“Benedict please” she said wanting him to take her into his mouth.  
“Not so fast my love. I have waited a long time for this and I want to make it last.”  
“I may not last however” she said as she moaned again.   
“That’s okay, I would love to make you cum over and over and over” he said.

He gave in then and took one of her breasts completely into his mouth, sucking on it gently, “Oh God” she groaned as he took her nipple between her teeth, making it so hard he could probably have cut glass with it. He then bit it softly causing Lily’s hips to buck wildly up off the bed. Knowing she was close he moved his hand from her hip and slid it across her pelvis and then trailed his fingers across her folds. As he softly stroked her clit, she screamed his name as she reached her climax. “Benedict” she hollered as the waves of her orgasm washed over her. 

“God Lily you look so beautiful when you are overcome with desire” he said. Keeping his hand on her clit, he whispered into her ear “I’m not stopping darling, I want to feel your juices on my hand and then I want to taste you” 

“You keep doing what you are doing and you will end up creating a tidal wave my luv” she said smiling at him. 

“Mmmm I look forward to that” he said as he started moving his finger up and down on her clit making it swell again.


	61. So Good

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Benedict and Lily spend some quality time together

Benedict kissed Lily on her lips pushing his tongue in her mouth trying to possess her. She sucked on his tongue letting him know he was all hers. She moved onto her side so she could run her hands up and down his chest. He felt so amazing. She could feel all the muscles in his chest and it turned her on even more. She reached her mouth up to the area just below his neck. That was the spot that Lily always dreamed of kissing and sucking. It was the one little spot that she could see whenever he had on a button down shirt and didn’t have a tie. The spot that showed up whenever he left the top couple of buttons open on his shirt. This was the spot that always made her wet when she thought about touching him and now here it was open for her to take. 

Benedict moaned as she sucked on his chest. The feel of her mouth on his skin set him on fire. In response he moved his fingers between her folds massaging her. “You are so wet” he said as he lifted his fingers to his mouth and sucked off her juices “and you taste divine”.

“You aren’t the only one who has thought of this for a long time. So many times I wondered what you would feel like and how it would feel for you to touch me” he replied.

“Is it as good as you imagined?” he asked.  
“Better my luv, much better” she answered and she took his skin between her teeth and gave him a little love bite.

“Oh is that how you want to play?” he asked as thrust two fingers deep inside of her.  
“Benedict!” she screamed as her hips lifted off of the bed in response.  
He curled his fingers inside of her making sure to caress her sweet spot. She continued to moan as he moved his fingers in and out of her keeping his thumb on her clit.   
“Yes Benedict keep fucking me with your fingers” she growled.  
“My, my, the lady has a potty mouth” he said laughing.   
“Keep it up and I will show you exactly what that potty mouth can do” she said.

He continued to run his fingers in and out of her. He knew she was enjoying it but he wanted more. He pulled his fingers out of her and lowered himself down between her legs. “I need to taste you luv” he said and he pushed her legs open and put his head deep into her core. His tongue started licked at her wet mound, up and down her folds and then nibbling at her clit. 

“Jesus Benedict” she said as every fibre of her body felt electrified.  
“Darling you taste amazing” he said as he pushed his tongue into her throbbing cunt.  
She put her hands into his hair trying to hang on and holding him in place. She curled her fingers through the waves in his hair and massaged his scalp. He growled as she pulled gently on his curls. “God Lily you don’t know what that does to me” he said and then dipped his tongue back into her warm wet pussy.

“Benedict I am getting close” she said as she could feel the intensity rising within her. He took this as his cue to push his tongue in and out of her even faster. He placed his fingers on her clit and stroked it until she could handle it no more. He could feel her clench around his tongue as her juices came rushing out at him. 

He lapped up every bit of her essence and then looked up at her with a huge smile on his face. “I knew you would taste so delicious” he said licking his lips.  
He moved up to kiss her. “Taste yourself” he said “See how good you taste” as he pushed his tongue inside her mouth. She could taste her juices and sucked his tongue hard into her mouth. 

“I’d prefer to taste you” she said as she pushed him onto his back. She started at his chest, placing kisses on it. As she moved down to his stomach her kisses turned into love bites. As she reached his pelvic area her bites turned into licks. He moaned loudly as she licked across his pelvis just above his bulging hard-on. 

She stopped for a moment so she could look at him. “You are so magnificent” she said, “so big and so hard”  
“You did that to me luv. That’s my desire for you”  
“Well then I better help you with that” she said as she slid between his legs. She took a hold of him at the base and moved her hand up and down his length. As she did, she moved him out of the way so she could have access to his scrotum. She gently took one of his sacs into her mouth and sucked on it. The loudest groan escaped his lips as she did.

“God Lily, that feels so good”   
Rather than answer him, she removed it from her mouth and put the other one in. He groaned again in response. 

She kept moving her hand up and down him rubbing her thumb across his head. She could feel pre-cum coating his tip so she reached her head up and licked it off. After sucking on the tip of him and hearing him moan, Lily took all of him into her mouth. He instantly hit the back of his throat as he was so long. Thankfully Lily had lost her gag reflex a long time ago and was able to handle him. 

“Ahh babe, how did you do that?” he groaned. Her answer was to move him in and out of her causing even more moans. She loved the feel of him in her mouth. She liked licking him all over and loved feeling him tense up as she did. It was not lost on her the fact that she had Benedict Cumberbatch’s cock in her mouth and she was making him beg.

“Lily please you are going to destroy me”   
“That’s what I am trying to do” she said and she continued to swallow him whole. Her mouth continued its assault on his cock as her hands caressed his balls. Suddenly he stiffened and his hips bucked forward. She heard him say “Lilyyyyyy” as he shot his seed deep into her mouth. She swallowed all of it, licking her lips as he had done before.

“Delectable” she said smiling up at him.  
“Beautiful” he said as he looked lovingly at her. “I have never seen a more beautiful sight than you with your lips around my cock like you wanted to eat me” He brought her up beside him on the bed, pulling her into his arms. “I have never had anyone make me feel like that” he said.

“Glad you enjoyed it.”  
“I’m still enjoying it love and so will you” he said and he spun her onto her back and climbed on top of her. She could see he was already hard again. He noticed the look of surprise on her face and said “yes Lily you make me want you that much that I feel like I a horny teenager again” 

She put her hand out and caressed him again. “Well then my dear please fuck me!” she said.  
“With pleasure” he said as he positioned his head at her entrance and plunged inside of her.  
“Oh God Benedict” she said as he filled her completely. She had never had a penis that large inside her before.   
“Fuck Lily, you are so tight and so wet” he said.   
“And that’s what you do to me” she replied. That was all she could say as he put his hand between them and rubbed her clit again in rhythm to his thrusting. She lost all control of her words and only garbled moans escaped her lips.

“Lily I never want to stop fucking you” he said as she tightened around him again.  
“Fuck Benedict, fuck” was all she could say in response. She felt like she was outside of her body experiencing this as she lost all rational thought. She could feel nothing but him inside of her as she finally lost all control and succumbed to the pleasure, squeezing him tightly as she did.

That was enough for him as he squeezed himself into her two more times and then collapsed as he filled her completely with his own release.


	62. Who Else Knows?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Benedict finds out just who all knows the secret he had just figured out.

Benedict and Lily lay curled up together basking in the afterglow of them finally opening up to each other emotionally and physically. 

“Lily, I feel so stupid that it took me this long to figure out that the story was about me and even worse that I waited this long to confess my feelings for you.”

“It’s my fault too, I should have been honest when I first met you but I didn’t know how you would take it. And I was too afraid of tell you how I felt because I didn’t want to risk losing our friendship. I’m still not sure this is a good idea as I am afraid we won’t work and things will end badly.”

“It could happen Lily but I don’t think it will. And even if it does, isn’t a little bit of heaven worth it no matter how long it lasts?” If you knew right now that we only had 4 weeks together and then it would be all over, would it make you love me any less? I would take the 4 weeks wrapped in your arms over not having you at all because I think it’s worth it” 

“I guess you are right Benedict because I don’t regret anything we have done. Oh no!”  
She said looking at him with a terrified expression on her face.

“What’s wrong Lily?” he was scared by the look on her face.  
“I never got to talk to Daniel, he’s out of town. I was going to call you after my nap to let you know we would have to wait longer but then I slept too long. You showed up and well once you were here in my bed I didn’t think about Daniel at all” 

Benedict laughed slightly. “I’m glad you weren’t thinking of him as I was making love to you” But then he noticed she wasn’t smiling. “It’s okay Lily. We just won’t announce it to anyone until you talk to him. It was an innocent mistake.”

“It shouldn’t have been though, I should have remembered”

“Lily my love you can’t take the world on your shoulders. If we had been honest with each other Daniel would never have been with you at all and he knows that. It’s only your guilt that is the issue, and you shouldn’t feel guilty for loving me. You told him from the start you had feelings for me that you were trying to get over so he shouldn’t be surprised that this happened” 

“I know but I still feel badly about it. I guess as long as we are careful and don’t let anyone else know until I talk to him then it will be okay. Besides I don’t know if I could have kept my hands off of you for two more days anyway, especially since we are still taping those love scenes” she grinned at him.

“Oh I know I wouldn’t have been able to” he said as he reached out and pulled her into him kissing her lips while squeezing her bottom. 

“I would have to lock you in a cage in order for you to keep your hands to yourself” Lily laughed as she broke from his kiss.

“What can I say, I find you irresistible.” He said as he smiled down at her again. He began kissing her neck and chest, finding his way back to her breasts. As he pressed against her she could feel that he was hard again and she knew this was going to be a long and blissful night. 

Cassie returned from her date several hours later and could hear voices in Lily’s bedroom. She started to enter the room when she saw Lily and Benedict in bed laughing and giggling together. She also noticed they had no clothes on.

“Oops sorry Lily didn’t know you had company” Cassie said.  
“It’s okay Cassie, you didn’t interrupt anything”  
“This time” Benedict added laughing.

“I see you two didn’t waste any time” she said. “I guess you changed your mind about telling Daniel over the phone?’

“No Cassie, I didn’t tell him. It’s a long story but I fell asleep and Benedict was here and well things happened. So since we failed at Plan A, we will have to just go to Plan B and not let anyone else know until Daniel knows” 

“Well you know I won’t say anything.” Cassie replied in case she needed to tell them.   
“I know Cassie. And thanks” Lily said.  
“Okay I’ll let you two love birds get back to what you were doing” she said as she gracefully exited Lily’s room.

“So I am assuming Cassie knew the book was about me” Benedict said looking at Lily.  
“Yes of course. She was one of the first people to read it and when I wrote it I used your real name as I wrote it as fan fiction.”  
“Hmmm, I used to think I didn’t like all those fan fiction stories but perhaps they aren’t too bad after all” he said as he snuck in a quick kiss on her neck. “Who else knows?”  
“Well, of course Daniel as he saw the book before the revisions were made. Oh and a couple of people close to you figured it out as well.”

Benedict got a surprised look on his face “Who of my friends would have figured it out?” he said then he got a sort of “good grief” expression on his face. “Don’t tell me, my inspector mother figured it out didn’t she?”

Lily couldn’t help smiling at him. “Yes Benedict I’m afraid she did. That time you had taken me to meet her, one of the reasons she was so anxious to see me was because she had figured it out and wanted to get me to confess to it. She can be very persistent!”

“Tell me about it, I can’t hide anything from that woman” he laughed. “So what did you tell her?”

“The same as I told you but I swore her to secrecy because I told her I didn’t want to upset you. I think she was a little afraid to bring it up to you too. You will have to let her know you figured it out” 

“No I think I will let you tell her because as soon as Daniel knows, I am going to announce our relationship to the world and of course to my parents first” he said gleaming with excitement.

“Well there is one other person you won’t have to tell” she said.  
“And who would that be?” he looked at her suspiciously.  
“Amanda and Martin. Amanda figured it out too and confronted me the very first time we met. That’s one reason I needed her to be my coach as she already knew my secret and helped me try to ‘act’ with you without falling to pieces” 

“Well that’s a surprise. Martin can’t keep anything a secret. I can’t believe he didn’t tell me.”  
“I honestly think Amanda would have killed him if he did that’s probably why” Lily joked.  
“You laugh but I am sure she would have. So anyone else I need to be aware of?”  
“Nope that’s everyone, well except for my friend Vee that you met in New York.”

“Good. Because I want the pleasure of telling everyone” he said.  
“As long as you don’t tell anyone before I talk to Daniel then it’s okay. Besides, I can think of better things for you to be doing with those gorgeous lips of yours” she said as she looked at him lustfully.

“Well my dear I would like nothing more than to grant your every wish. So bring that gorgeous body of yours over here so my lips can get started” he said as he lunged towards her.

Cassie could hear squeals coming from Lily’s room and decided it might be a good night to listen to music with her headphones on.


	63. Second time around

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Since Lily already broke her decision to hold off Benedict, she decided a second time was in order

The next day was very hard for Lily and Benedict on the set because they still had to commit to the passion of their roles but not show their own passion for each other. Now that Benedict had been intimate with Lily, he was finding it extremely hard to keep his hands off of her. Lily kept calling him “Randy” instead of Benedict as she kept telling him he was as randy as a schoolboy.

They managed to film a lot of scenes in a short amount of time as Lily and Benedict fell into a pretty comfortable routine. Starting next week they would be going on location to film the New York scenes. Lily was excited to be travelling back to New York where it all began for her and Benedict. They would only be there a couple of days to get some scenery shots and then they were actually going to Canada to film some shots of Danielle’s home town. Lily was really excited to be able to show Benedict around her home town and introduce him to her friends. She especially wanted him to meet her cousin who was the inspiration for her character “Lynn” in the book. 

Just as they were starting to prep for the last scene of the day, they could hear a huge crash from the back of the set. When they checked, a huge light pole had fallen down and smashed. They would have to get someone from the technical union to come fix it and that would take an hour or two. Since they couldn’t shoot without this light, Jon called it quits for the day and they all got to go home a couple of hours early.

Cassie was happy because she had some shopping to do and this way she could get to the stores before they got crowded. She loved walking through the streets of London in the afternoon.

Benedict was excited to finish shooting early as well. He went directly to Lily’s trailer to tell her his plans for the rest of the afternoon.  
“Lily luv” he said as stood behind her and put his arms around her waist “I know exactly what I want to do with our afternoon”  
“Oh do you?” she said peeking back at him waiting for his answer.  
“We need to get a car and go directly back to the hotel…” he paused for a moment as he nibbled on her neck.  
“Yes, keep going” she said “I think I like where this is going”  
“Mmmm, as I was saying, go directly to the hotel and then I want to rip off all your clothes and make you scream my name over and over” he finished as he bent to kiss her neck again.  
“I was right, I do like the sound of that” she replied. “Just remember to keep your hands to yourself when we are in public”

“Ah, how much longer do we need to keep up this secret” he whined

“Just until tomorrow afternoon; Daniel will be back then and as soon as I finish talking to him, you can put your hands all over me whenever you want”   
“Be careful darling, you don’t know what you are saying. You may want to consider that statement”   
“Oh yes, I forgot Randy” she teased.  
“What can I say? It is your entire fault for being so gorgeous that I can’t keep my hands off of you. Thinking about that mouth of yours is causing me to have a permanent hard-on. I have to wear steel front trousers now so I don’t show it off to the world”

“You poor thing. I have my own issues, I havent had a single pair of dry panties since I met you!” she said.

“Okay enough of the chit chat, time to go so we can do something about this. Meet you at the studio entrance in 15 mins.”

“I’ll see you there”

15 mins later, Lily was surprised to see Benedict waiting at the gate for her. “Wow, you actually beat me?” she said. “You are never on time”  
“I am when I have the right motivation” he said giving her a cheeky grin.

They rode back to the hotel making sure to sit far enough apart that they weren’t tempted to touch each other. Knowing that Cassie had gone shopping, they headed up to Lily’s room. Since it was expected they would be seen together at the hotel, they didn’t need to worry about people seeing them go to Lily’s room together as long as they kept a respectable distance between them. 

Once inside the room, Benedict couldn’t hold off any more. He threw his coat on the chair and immediately started to chase Lily into the room. He reached her and started to unbutton her shirt. When he couldn’t get the buttons open fast enough, he ripped the shirt apart sending buttons flying across the room. 

“Easy Big Boy: Lily said, “I really liked that shirt”  
“And I really like you naked” he said. “I can get you a dozen shirts”

He then hauled her skirt down to floor and ripped off her panties. “Don’t worry, I’ll get you more of those too” he said before she had a chance to complain.

“Before you rip this off too, let me help” Lily said as she reached up and removed her bra. “And now we need to work on you!” 

As Benedict was removing his shirt, Lily grabbed a hold of his belt and yanked it off. She then pulled his zipper down and pulled both his trousers and his pants off.

“I quite like you naked too but I don’t have the money to replace your fancy clothes, Mr. Movie Star.”

“You will soon Luv, once this movie opens you will be in hot demand. Now can you please stop talking and get into that bed?” he growled as she chased her further into the bedroom leaving a trail of clothes behind them.

As randy as Benedict was, it didn’t take him long to get Lily just where he wanted her.   
He was having so much fun that he was being overly verbal. 

“Mmmm Lily, your breasts are so luscious, they melt in my mouth.” Then it was  
“Oh Lily your skin tastes like sugar you are so sweet” he said as he licked down her stomach.  
“Lily, your delicious pussy tastes like candy it is so sweet” he moaned.  
Lily was so enraptured by his mouth, that she couldn’t say anything. Not only couldn’t she say anything, but they couldn’t hear anything but their own moans and breathing. This was why they could not hear the sound of the suite door opening.


	64. Surprises for All

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daniel tries to surprise Lily but the biggest surprise was for him.

Looking around the suite, voices could be heard coming from the other room. There was a pile of clothes on the floor, both women’s and men’s. Oh, he thought, Cassie must have a new man in her life. Good for her she deserved to have someone. His curiosity was peaked as he didn’t expect anyone to be here at this time. He assumed everyone would still be onset and he wanted to surprise Lily when she got home for the day.

Walking closer to bedrooms, he realized the voice he heard was not Cassie’s but was actually Lily’s. The voice got louder as he got closer. It wasn’t just Lily’s voice, but a man’s voice as well. His heart leapt into his mouth as he heard him say “God Lily I love you so much”   
And then heard her reply “I love you too”.  
As he looked into the room his heart broke as he saw their two bodies entwined. 

“Oh My God!” was the only words Daniel could get out as he saw Lily and Benedict lying naked between the sheets, very much in the middle of making love to each other.

“Daniel!” Lily screamed as she saw him. She quickly removed herself from Benedict and wrapped up in the sheet. Benedict got a very startled look on his face and pulled the covers over him “What are you doing here?” she asked.

“Well I thought I was coming home early to surprise my girlfriend, but I guess I am the one that is getting the surprise! The second I am out of town the two of you are together? How long has this been going on?” Daniel was practically screaming he was so upset at the sight of the two of them together. 

“It’s not like that Daniel really. This only happened yesterday and we wanted to wait so I could talk to you first. But then you were out of town…” she paused.

“Really you couldn’t have waited two days for me to get back? Did you really give so little regard for my feelings? I love you Lily and I have for a long time. You knew that and you told me you would be mine and then you just drop me the second Cumberbatch here bats an eye at you?” He couldn’t believe Lily would betray him that way.

“No Daniel, really it’s not like that. Can we get dressed and then we can explain?”

“I don’t want to hear anything from him and I’m not sure I want to hear anything from you either” he said as he turned and rushed out of the suite, back to his own room.

“Oh Benedict, that was the worst thing that could have happened!” Lily cried. “That’s exactly what I was trying to avoid. Now I have crushed him and left him with the image of the two of us together”

“I know its horrible Lily but you didn’t intend it to happen like this. He will realize that once he is able to calm down. Although I have to say I am surprised he didn’t try to take a swing at me because I sure would have if I were in his position.”

“I have to go after him, I have to try to explain” she said as she hurried to put her clothes on.

“Are you sure that’s wise Lily?” Benedict asked. “Maybe you should give him some time alone to digest what has happened.”

“Would that make you feel better if you were in his shoes?” she asked.  
“No I guess it wouldn’t but then I don’t know what would make me feel better in this situation.”

“I’m going to see him” Lily said as she left the suite to head to Daniel’s room.

When she reached Daniel’s doorway, she could hear the sound of things being thrown around the room. She knew he was terribly upset and she felt so guilty. He needed to listen to her; she needed to be able to make it better somehow.

“Daniel” she said banging on his door, “Let me come in. We need to talk; I need to tell you what happened”

The throwing stopped but there was no answer from inside.  
“Daniel please come open the door” she begged, “You only know half the story, you need to know everything”

She waited to see if there was going to be a response, but none was coming. Finally she said “Daniel I can go get the spare key and let myself in but I would rather you open the door for me. Will you please, as I am not going away?”

A moment later, Lily could hear the footsteps inside the room getting closer to where she was. Very slowly the door opened. She could not see Daniel, but she carefully made her way inside.


	65. Let me Explain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liliy tries to tell Daniel how things were supposed to happen

Daniel was devastated by what he saw. He knew Lily still had some feelings for Benedict but he thought she had feelings for him also. He never imagined that she would sleep with Benedict while she was his girlfriend.

He knew her taking on this role would be a bad thing for him but he loved her so much he couldn’t stand in the way of such a huge opportunity for her. He should have stayed closer to the set; he should have had someone else look after his other clients so he could have stayed with Lily. As long as he was with her he could overcome her feelings for Benedict, but leaving her alone with him, Daniel didn’t stand a chance.

Daniel was so mad he started throwing things around the room. All he could see was the two of them together. He kept hearing her voice over and over saying “I love you too”.  
Why had he ever tried to surprise her? He should have checked with Cassie first and was Cassie anyway? Why didn’t she stop this?

As all of these thoughts were running through Daniel’s mind, he suddenly heard a loud knock on his door. He didn’t care who it was, he didn’t want to see anyone, least of all Lily or Benedict. He stopped throwing thing for just a moment in order to hear who was at the door.

He heard Lily’s voice asking to come in but he was too mad to see her. He didn’t want to hear what she had to say as there was no explanation that could make this acceptable. 

He heard her again, pleading with him to let her come in, but he couldn’t. Seeing her would only make it worse and further break his heart. 

Then he heard her ultimatum, he knew she was coming in anyway so he decided as much as he didn’t want it, hearing her outside his door was affecting him just as badly. Plus he didn’t want anyone else to hear what was going on. Daniel slowly pushed the door open but retreated back into the darkened room so he wouldn’t be tempted to touch her. 

Lily walked into the room, there were no lights on and the curtains were closed. She could barely see Daniel sitting in the chair.

“Make it quick” he said “Because I want you out of here and I don’t want you to come back”

“Daniel I’m so sorry, I completely understand why you feel as you do. I really tried to stop this from happening but I didn’t do a very good job of it.”

“Okay enough of the sentiment just tell me how it happened and move on” he said very curtly. He only had hate for her as she spoke.

“When we filmed the scene where Danielle and Charlie make love for the first time, the intensity of the scene became too much. Our minds were telling us not to react, but our bodies were responding all on their own. Even though we were not touching, we felt like we were. And at that moment, Benedict realized that I had written the book about him.

She paused for a moment to see if there was any reaction from Daniel but there was not.

She continued, “I went back to my trailer for our break but he followed me and he wouldn’t leave me along until I told him the truth. At that moment, he confessed his love for me and I told him the feelings I had for him. I know it wasn’t right Daniel but I couldn’t stop the words from coming out of my mouth. You have to imagine what it is like to have someone you have been deeply in love with for a long time, tell you they love you too. It’s like all your dreams coming true.”

“I wouldn’t know how that feels” he said in a disgruntled voice. “I thought I would get that chance, but the object of my affection professed her love for another man”

“Oh Daniel I’m sorry. I didn’t think how that would sound to you. But I was being honest. After that Benedict wanted to further explore our feelings for each other, but I told him, I couldn’t be with him until I had a chance to tell you. That I respected you too much to do this behind your back” 

Daniel scoffed at that comment “Guess you didn’t respect me as much as you thought”

“I did Daniel, I really did. Benedict agreed and we went back to the set. After we finished shooting, I told Benedict I was going to talk to you and he was going to come see me afterwards at 9pm. When I got back here, Cassie told me you were gone for a couple of days. I knew it would be difficult but I was still going to tell Benedict that we had to wait. That is when I made my mistake. I was tired and wanted a shower. I decided I would have my shower and then call Benedict and tell him not to come over. After the shower, I felt more relaxed and when I slipped into bed for a little nap, I didn’t wake up until several hours later. I didn’t call Benedict so he didn’t know not to come.”

Daniel gave Lily a look as if to say “Really? That’s the best you can come up with?” but he didn’t say anything, he just kept listening.

“When I fell asleep I starting dreaming. I was dreaming about the future and about what it would be like when Benedict and I could be together. What I didn’t know as while I was sleeping, Benedict had arrived and had come into the bedroom. When he saw me, he didn’t know we hadn’t talked yet and he climbed into bed with me. I thought I was feeling him kiss me in the dream when he was really kissing me. Because I was talking in my dream, he didn’t know I was asleep, he thought I was reacting to him. He kept kissing me and I continued to react. By the time I woke up, we were heavily committed to each other and things just happened from there. I’m sorry I didn’t think of you as soon as I woke up, but all I could think about then was him”

“Not sure I really buy that one Lily as it is pretty far-fetched. Even if I did believe you, that was yesterday. You could have talked to me before today. And why didn’t you wait again?”

“Daniel, would you really have wanted me to break up with you over the phone?” she asked.

“No but it would have been better than walking into what I did” he said.

“I know but as far as we knew you were only coming home tomorrow and since we had already been together once, it didn’t really seem to matter whether it was once or twice, the deed had been done. Please believe me Daniel, I told Cassie and Benedict both several times that I wanted to do this the right way that I didn’t want to hurt you. I do care for you Daniel, you are a very important part of my life, but I just don’t have that kind of love for you”

“Well I have heard what you had to say, can you please leave now?”  
“Did it make a difference?” she asked  
“Nope. Not right now anyway. I am still pissed at you and in disbelief that this happened and I really don’t want to talk about it anymore so please leave before I get really angry” he said. 

Lily could tell Daniel was trying very hard to keep control of his anger and it was getting harder by the minute so she did as he asked and she left him alone.


	66. Cassie returns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassie gets back from shopping and Lily fills her on in what happened while she was gone

Lily returned to Benedict and told him what went on.  
“You can’t really blame him my dear. He thought he finally had the love of his life only to find her in bed with another man. I would be devastated if the roles were reversed.”

“I know but I hate it that he thinks so badly of me. I have never seen him this angry before.”

“It will get better Lily, he’s hurting but he will get over it” Benedict said trying to soothe her.

“I suppose. Well I guess one good thing came out of all of this” she said  
“What could that possibly be?”

“We don’t have to hide anymore; we are free to let people know about us”  
“Ah yes, that is wonderful news. Would you feel up to having dinner with my folks tonight? I know its soon but I am so anxious to not have to hide my feelings anymore.”  
“Well as much as I would love to see you squirm” she said with a teasing grin. “I would enjoy having supper with your parents”

“Good let me call her and see if tonight works for them.” Benedict said as he picked up mobile to give her a call. 

While Benedict was on the phone, Cassie returned from her shopping trip. Lily filled her in on what had happened. 

“Oh my God Lily. That must have been horrible. Poor Daniel” Cassie responded to the news.

“I know; I may have to find myself a new agent as he may not want to ever work with me again.” 

“Oh it won’t likely be that bad Lily. I don’t think Daniel would ever leave you.”  
“I don’t know Cassie, you didn’t see his face, and you didn’t see how upset and angry he was. It was the worst I have ever seen”

“Well you should probably keep your distance from him for a while so he has a chance to deal with this. I am sure he will come around eventually”

“I hope so” Lily said just as Benedict was hanging up the phone.

“There it’s all set. Mum was thrilled that we could come to dinner. She was already preparing a big meal so she could freeze some for later and now she doesn’t have to. Although after she hears the news she may be too excited to eat. The most important thing to her these days is whether I have a ‘bird’ or not.” He grinned.

“Let’s just hope she thinks I am the right ‘bird’ for you” Lily replied.  
“I am sure she will think you are the perfect one for me Lil. She already liked you when she met you the first time so this will be even better.”

“Okay well we better get ready and head out there as we can be too late. We have an early shoot again tomorrow.” Lily reminded him.

“Yes Maam” he said laughing. “See we have been a couple for all of 24 hours and she is already bossing me around.”

“You havent seen anything yet Mr.” she said as she threw a pillow at him.  
“Bring it on babe, I am ready for you”  
“You always are” Lily said with a very wicked smile on her face.


	67. Supper with the Cumberbatches

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Benedict takes Lily to supper with his folks so they can fill them in on the news

Lily and Benedict were on their way to Ben’s parents’ house to tell them the news. While Lily thought they would be happy, she was still nervous as letting someone other than Cassie in on the news. Although these feelings between her and Benedict had been going on for a while, things were happening very quickly now. Almost too quickly for Lily’s comfort but that’s just because she was cautious by nature. 

Sensing her apprehension Benedict squeezed her hand in his while he was driving and ran his thumb across the back of it. “Don’t be worried Lily, my parents will be thrilled with the news. You seem more nervous today than the first time I took you to meet them.”

“In some ways I am. This is a big step we have just taken Benedict and I am still not sure how everyone else will take the news”. As calming as his touch was, her fears held a greater power over her.

“Lily you worry too much” he said. “Let’s just say my parents don’t approve of this and the whole world is against us, will that diminish the feelings you have for me?”

“No of course not” she said.  
“Then why worry? Its our lives to live and regardless of who else approves of us, I will still love you just as much tomorrow as I do today” he said as he pulled her hand to his luscious lips and kissed it.

“You always know the right thing to say don’t you?” she smiled  
“No but I do have a pretty good track record because I speak from the heart”

As Lily looked out her window she noticed they had arrived at the quaint little cottage in the country that his parents called home. She did feel much better now as Benedict was right. Why should she care what anyone else thought, it only mattered what she and Benedict thought and they were in love.

Benedict came around to her car door and helped her out. They did not hold hands as they entered the cottage as they didn’t want to give things away too soon.

“Lily so nice to see you” Wanda said as she stepped up to give her a hug. Then she turned to her son and said “Glad to see you too son. It seems like it’s been so long since you’ve been here to visit.”

“I know Mum but no guilt trips please. I have been working hard on this movie of Lily’s”  
“Well I guess that is a good excuse” she said. “Come you two, Tim’s in the living room waiting”

Tim got up from the sofa as soon as they entered the room. He held out his hand to shake with Benedict and held his arms out to embrace Lily in a nice warm hug. Lily loved Wanda and Tim as they were so lovely. She felt like she was being wrapped in a nice warm blanket on a cold autumn day when she was in their home.

“So we are so thrilled you are able to join us for supper but I am guessing there is a reason for the last minute visit. Sit down and tell us what your news is dear” Wanda said as she looked at Benedict and then Lily.

“Why do you always assume I have an ulterior motive when I come to visit Mum?” Benedict said grinning at his father as he knew the stalling was killing his mother.

“Benedict Timothy, you know and I know you have something to tell me so stop torturing my soul and tell me” she said feigning anger.

“Oh Ben you better tell her fast” his father said,” because we both know if she brings out your other middle name next it will be too late for you” he chuckled.

“I don’t know” Lily said, “I think I am enjoying seeing him get in trouble” she laughed.

“Okay enough all of you, stop torturing me” Ben said. “Yes Mum you are correct, I have some news for you.”

“Go on” she said

“So first some Lily news. What you don’t know is that Lily has been made my co-star recently” Benedict said

“Oh Lily that’s wonderful news” Wanda said. “I didn’t know you were an actor.”  
“That’s because this is the first acting job I have ever had” Lily answered.  
“So this is a cameo spot then is it?” Tim asked  
“Not exactly” Lily said. “I am playing Danielle”

“Bloody hell Lily, that amazing, how did this happen?” Wanda asked

“Claire wasn’t able to tap into the heartbreak of Danielle’s character so Jon asked me if I could help explain the character to her in more detail. When I did, she understood but she still didn’t seem to be able to get to the heart of the character’s anguish. Jon asked me to show her by doing a reading with Benedict. I guess my in-depth knowledge of the character really improved the skills I learned in my acting class and it all just clicked.”

“And because Lily did so well with her character, it allowed me to do better with mine. Jon said the onscreen chemistry we had was amazing and after he and Jacob talked, they offered her the role!” Ben concluded.

“I can’t get over it dear” Wanda said looking at Lily, “but I am so happy for both of you. How do you feel about the job and how have you been making out?”   
¬  
“Quite well actually. I was completely nervous at the beginning but they allowed Amanda Abbington to be my acting coach and Amanda has helped me a lot. And of course Benedict has been easy to work with” Lily said smiling.

“Well pretending to be in love with Lily is pretty easy work” he said as he leaned in and kissed her.

Wanda’s mouth dropped open and Tim’s eyes went wide.   
“Benedict and Lily, are the two of you a couple?” Wanda asked all excited.  
“Yes Mum we are” Benedict said beaming.  
“Of darling I am so happy!” Wanda practically squealed as she said the words.  
“Congratulations you two” Tim chimed in.

“Thank you Wanda and Tim” Lily replied. “So you are really okay with us being together?” she said.

“Of course darling we are more than okay. I was hoping this would happen from the day you confirmed the book was about Ben” Wanda said. Then suddenly she thought she might have ruined something, “Oops, I didn’t let out any secrets did I?” 

“No Mum I know’ Benedict said. “That’s what brought us together. When Lily and I had to do the love scenes in the movie, the chemistry and passion between us was undeniable, that’s when I realized she had written the book about me” 

“Yes my fear of him being upset was unfounded” Lily added “Instead it finally allowed us to confess our true feelings for each other” 

“I’m so glad darling. I knew from the moment I read your book that there was a possibility this could happen. I met you and you were so charming and sweet and I could tell Ben had feelings for you. I was even more certain then that this would eventually happen” Wanda said.

“Ah yes, Wanda the fortune teller” Tim joked.  
“Don’t be cheeky Tim’ Wanda said as she poked Tim in the arm.  
“Oh!” Tim hollered, “Hey I just tell it like I see it”

“Maybe you should keep some of that to yourself Luv” Wanda said grinning. “Okay let’s go have something to eat and then we can talk more about this. Tim, go get that bottle of champagne we have been saving for a special occasion as this certainly qualifies” Wanda requested.

“The boss has spoken” Tim said grinning as he went to get the champagne


	68. Trick on Amanda

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben and Lily play a trick on Amanda as Daniel makes a decision of his own

After a wonderful evening with Ben’s parents Lily was starting to feel better about the potential for her and Benedict’s relationship. If everyone was as understanding and happy for them then it would be a breeze. 

They went back to work the next morning and shot several more scenes. Daniel was absent from the set as Lily expected. She knew he would need some time before he could be comfortable around the two of them. Lily just hoped he wouldn’t let her go as a client as she needed him. He was an excellent agent and she would also miss him as a friend; although she knew that they would not likely be able to get back to that relationship for a very long time.

Lily and Benedict told Amanda their news together. That day she was rehearsing with Lily in her trailer, when Benedict came in and pretended he was mad about something Lily did on set. He marched over to her as Amanda watched; a little scared by what was happening. Ben grabbed Lily by her arms and pulled her into him for a large, passionate kiss. Amanda was flabbergasted by what she saw and then she realized they both were smiling at her with big grins on their faces.

“You two!” she hollered at them. “You scared the crap out of me. I am guessing the secret is out then Lily?” she asked  
“Yes Amanda it is” Benedict answered instead. “She could hide a lot of things from me but the passion on the set made me realize what I should have figured out long ago”   
“Well most people would have figured it out, but you know Ben, in real life you really aren’t a very good Sherlock!” she said teasing him.

“Nice Amanda. I’ll remember that the next time you need someone to watch the kids. Uncle Ben just may be busy!”  
“Don’t worry Amanda, Auntie Lily is always around” Lily said.  
“So now, who else knows this news?” she asked.

“Just you and Cassie, Wanda and Tim and of course Daniel. Poor Daniel found out the hard way when he walked in on us.” Lily said looking very remorseful.

“Bollocks Lily that must have been awful” 

“Yes it was. We had planned to tell him before we allowed ourselves to be intimate but he was out of town and well…. things happened” she said blushing. “And then he came home early to surprise me”

“How is he taking it?”

“As badly as you would expect. He hates me and I don’t blame him. I don’t expect to see him around for a while until he can come to terms with all of this.” Lily said.

“Of course. So are you two planning to go public?” Amanda asked.

“We pretty much have to if we want to have any time together” Ben answered. “If we let the cast and crew know than someone will leak it and it will be all over the papers. As it is right now, we have been able to keep it a secret that Lily has taken over the lead role but I am surprised we have gotten away with it.” 

“Well darlings I wish you all the best. Martin and I adore you both and he will be as pleased as I am that you have found each other.”

“Thanks Amanda. We appreciate all you two have done for us both personally and professionally” Lily replied.

“And tell the old man that if he can spare a moment or two from his busy schedule that we should go out to dinner the four of us” Ben added.

“We would love that. I’ll see when we can book it in.” Amanda said. “Now isn’t it time for you two to get back on the set?” she asked

“Yes it is” Ben answered. “One more kiss Lily dear, to do me until the end of the day?”

Lily put her arms around him and gave him a big kiss. “Yes it will have to last you because we have no love scenes to shoot today.”

“Must be rough you two, must be rough” Amanda laughed as they headed back out to set.

 

Daniel was not sure whether he was coming or going these days. His head was still spinning from the events of the last couple of days. He spent the entire day, after that horrible night, in bed not wanting to eat or get up to see anyone. He tried to figure out what he could have done differently in order to win Lily over. He also tried to figure out what he did to Lily to make her want to hurt him so badly by jumping into bed with Benedict before Daniel even had a chance to talk her out of it.

After a day of anger and misery, Daniel then tried denial. He told himself it would never work out between them and she would come running back to Daniel with her heart broken. Would he take her back? Of course he would, she was the love of his life. There would be some kind of punishment for her for abandoning him in the first place, but he would take her back and they would build a great life together. 

After that Daniel decided he needed to go away for a while. He figured if Lily didn’t have him around she would miss him and maybe be concerned about how he was doing. He decided to leave a note for her, one that would cause her to think about what she had done.

He packed his bags and as he was leaving the hotel he taped a note to Lily door. She would be sorry she turned him away.


	69. Daniel's Note

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daniel leaves a note for Lily that really unsettles her

Lily and Cassie got back to the hotel after a long day of shooting. Lily was finally starting to get used to the hectic pace but it had taken her a while. It was not just physically demanding but mentally demanding as well.

As they approached the door, they could see there was an envelope taped to it.  
The envelope had Lily’s name on it but nothing else. She cautiously peeled it off the door and pulled out the single piece of paper inside. The hand writing on it was decidedly male and the message was short and to the point.

Dear Lily,   
You have broken my heart and I cannot handle being around you. I need to leave town for a while to decide what to do next with my life. I am not sure I will ever get over this betrayal. If you need anything from an agent perspective, please contact the agency.   
Please do not attempt to contact me directly as I will not be taking your calls.  
Daniel

“Oh my God Cassie, this is horrible. He is taking things much worse than I thought. I feel like the most heartless person in the worst.” Lily gasped when she finished reading the note.

“What is it Lily?” Cassie said 

Lily was sobbing violently as Cassie took the note and read it. “Lily darling please don’t be so upset. Come sit down and let’s talk about this” Cassie said.

They entered the room and Lily curled up on the couch bringing her knees up to her chest almost like a child. She was still crying but was able to catch her breath. “I knew he was upset but I had no idea he would react this badly” she said to Cassie.

“Lily, love you have to put this into perspective. Daniel was hurt by you so now he is trying to strike back. I am sure it is not near as bad as he has written here. I am sure he just did this to try to give you some pain in return.” 

“Do you think that’s all it is?” Lily said wishfully.  
“I do. I know Daniel was hurt but this is full of exaggeration. You were only a couple for a few weeks; he is acting like you had been together for years. You havent even slept together… well not really”

‘You have a point. Thank you Cassie for being my voice of reason. This whole situation has me on edge and Daniel knew just how to push my buttons didn’t he?”

“Yes he sure did. So let’s talk about something more cheerful. Is Ben coming over tonight?’ Cassie asked.   
“We are going out for dinner with Amanda and Martin actually. I can’t wait I like them so much” Lily said.

“Yes they seem like a great couple” Cassie said. Lily could detect a little sadness in her voice though as she said it.

“What wrong Cas?”

“Oh nothing really, I am very happy for you it’s just that I am a little jealous of what you have with Ben and the fact that you get to do couple things with other great couples” Cassie confessed.

“Oh Cassie, soon you will find your partner, and then we can do great couple things with you too. I can feel that he’s just around the corner somewhere, you just havent met him yet”

“Maybe I did meet him but he is too busy for me” Cassie replied sheepishly.

“Oh? Are we referring to Mr. Butler by any chance? I thought that was just a fantasy shag, as Benedict would say. The British have such cute words for intimate things don’t they?’ she laughed as she said it.

“Yes they do” Cassie laughed too for a minute. “I thought it was just a fantasy ‘shag’ too but I find myself thinking about him a lot. We had such nice conversations. He really was more than a gorgeous mind blowing sex god!’” she chuckled again.

“Well perhaps he will realize the same thing. I never thought I would ever be with Benedict and look what happened. Have faith Cassie, have faith”


	70. YQM

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily and Benedict arrive in Lily's honetown to encounter some fans

Daniel’s decision to go away for a while came at the same time as filming was set to be take place in Lily’s hometown in Canada. This was a good thing as it allowed Lily to relax knowing Daniel would not be there possibly creating a scene in front of her family and friends. Also, with Daniel away, Lily and Benedict decided it would be a good time to announce their relationship to the public as that way Daniel wouldn’t have to face everyone’s reaction. 

Since Lily and Benedict had told Benedict’s parents, it was only right they should tell Lily’s parents before the rest of the world knew. Their visit to Canada was the perfect opportunity.

Lily’s parents were used to the publicity that Lily’s book had brought into their world, but they had no idea what would happen when it was announced she was now the leading lady in her own movie and that she was with Benedict.

Lily thought it would be best if she and Ben arrived a couple of days before shooting were to begin so they could spend a little time with her family. Lily’s brother and his 3yr old daughter picked them up at the airport. Since the flights into Moncton were usually very small, they didn’t have too many fans stopping them. They tried to wear clothes that would make them inconspicuous. It would have worked had her brother’s little girl Jessie not let out a huge scream when she saw “Auntie Lily”. Everyone in the airport turned to look at them and you could hear the whispers: “Is that Lily Waters the writer? She is from Moncton you know” and then “OMG is that Benedict Cumberbatch with her?”

Suddenly there was a crowd of people around them asking for autographs and trying to take pictures. Lily and Ben obliged them all as that was the fastest and easiest way to get out of the situation. Afraid that Jessie would get crunched in the crowd; Benedict had scooped her up in his arms out of harm’s way. Jessie looked up at him for a moment trying to figure out why this strange man had a hold of her.

“Don’t worry sweetheart” he said, “I’m a friend of Auntie Lily’s and I just want to make sure no one steps on you” He gave her one of his heart-melting smiles. It seems they work on small girls too as she instantly grinned back at him and relaxed into his grip.

Finally the crowd dispersed. Lily could finally introduce her brother to Ben.  
“Benedict, this is my brother Jeremy and you already met his daughter Jessie”

“Hello Jeremy so nice to meet you” Benedict replied. “And it’s very nice to meet you Jessie. You are a real charmer”

“What’s that mean Mr. Benerdot?” she said trying to get her tongue around Ben’s name. Lily cracked up laughing at her attempt at it.

“It means you are very special Jessie and you can call me Ben”

“Okay Mr. Ben” she said and then looked over at her daddy “Daddy, I like Mr. Ben”

They all started laughing at her innocent words. “I like him too Jess” Lily said.

“Welcome to Moncton Benedict, so nice to meet you. My sister has told us so much about you” Jeremy said.

“Really…?” Benedict looked over slyly at Lily. “What kind of things are you telling people Lil?” he said as he reached out and squeezed her hand.

“Oh don’t worry, nothing much. I left out all the absolutely horrible things you do to torture me and only told them the nice things” she answered as she poked him in the ribs.

“Oh Jessie, you are going to have to protect me from you Aunt. She picks on me”  
“Auntie Lily it’s not nice to pick on people” Jessie said  
“You’re right Jessie, okay I’ll stop but I think if I do, Mr. Ben will be the one who is sad.”

“Let’s get your luggage before they send it back,” Jeremy said changing the subject and leading them to the baggage carousel. 

On the way out to the car, Jessie asked if she could hold Mr. Ben’s hand so she and Benedict walked ahead of Jeremy and Lily. When they were far enough ahead to be out of earshot, Jeremy looked at his sister and asked “So how long have you and Benedict been a couple?”

“Why would you think we are a couple?” Lily said surprised he would ask that.  
“It’s pretty obvious Lil, the way he squeezed your hand, the way you two practically beam when you look at each other” he said.

“Well I was going to wait until we were with Mom and Dad, but yes we are a couple” she confessed. “It has only been a couple of weeks and only a small handful of people know. That’s why we are here early, so we could tell Mom and Dad, because soon afterwards we are going to go public with our relationship”

“Why would you want to go public” he asked.  
“Because it is too hard being careful and we want it announced on our own terms and not the media’s” she replied “We are afraid we will slip up and people will notice and leak it to the press. If we announce it then we can present it however we wish.” 

“I guess that makes sense. And it’s not like you aren’t familiar with fans of your own, but I am guessing based on what I saw here today that it will get much more frantic once you make your announcement.” 

“Yes Jeremy it’s going to be very hectic for a while but we will get used to it. Benedict has been around this type of crazy reaction a lot longer than I have and his fans are much more ‘outgoing’ than mine are, so he has some tricks he uses that he will teach me.”

“Let’s hope” Jeremy said as they reached the car and all piled in to head off to Lily’s parents’ house


	71. Rose and Henry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben meets Lily's parents

Lily’s Mom was waiting at the door for them. It has been so long since she saw her and she had missed her so much. They talked on the phone often but it wasn’t the same as seeing her in person.

“There’s my girl” she said as she gave Lily a hug. “I have missed you so much”  
“I’ve missed you too Mom. Where’s Dad?”   
“You know your father Lily; he’s in the garage tinkering with those old cars of his.  
“I’ll go get him” Jeremy volunteered. “Here Jessie, go say hi to Grandma Rose”  
“Hey Grandma Rose how are you?” Jessie said  
“Just lovely my sweet girl and how are you?”  
“Super Grammie, Guess what? Auntie Lily has a new friend named Mr. Ben. He is really tall and I like him”  
“Well I am sure if you like him Jessie that I will like him too” Lily’s mom replied.

“Mom, this is my friend Mr. Ben” Lily said laughing.

“You don’t have to tell me who this handsome man is Lily; I don’t live under a rock you know. Welcome Benedict, it is so nice to finally meet you” and she stepped forward and gave him a hug.

“Thank you Mrs. Waters, I have been anxious to meet you as well. You are every bit as lovely as your daughter” he said.

“Thank you Benedict but please call me Rose. We aren’t very formal around here, especially with family friends” she said.

“I’m glad Rose because I’m really not as formal as people think I am”  
“That’s for certain,” Lily kidded. “That ratty old T-Shirt you wear all the time really needs to go.”  
“Lily, where are your manners?” her mother asked.  
“It’s okay Rose, Lily and I poke fun at each other all the time. We are each other’s best friends so we know we can be honest with each other”  
“I see” Rose said, with a little look of suspicion in her eyes.

“Found him” Jeremy said as he entered the house with Lily’s Dad. “He had his head stuck in the 56”

“There was a small knock in the motor I had to fix” he said. “I couldn’t let my baby run with a broken spark plug now could I?”

“Absolutely not sir” Benedict answered surprising Lily’s dad. “A car that old is to be treasured”

“Well Lily, I like this guy already” he said holding out his hand to Ben “Henry Waters, nice to meet you Benedict”

“Nice to meet you sir.” Benedict replied. “Lily didn’t tell me your dad had an antique car”

“Please call me Henry and yes I have a couple of cars” he said  
“A couple?” Jeremy chuckled, “More like a whole collection. What started as one has now grown into 6”

“Wow, 6 antiques? Henry, could I bother you to show them to me later on?” Benedict asked.

“Bother him?” Lily smirked this time, “You would be making his day. There is nothing he likes more than talking about his cars”

“Perhaps I do get a little involved in them” he grinned, “But yes Benedict I would be happy to take out in garage later on to check them out.”

“Perfect. Thanks” Benedict replied.

“Hi Jessie girl” Henry said to his granddaughter, “Did you miss your old Grampy?”  
“You’re not old Grampy, you are just right” she giggled as he poked in the belly.

“Henry, go wash up please” Rose said to her husband, “then we can all sit in the living room and catch up with what our girl has been up to”

“Yes mother, be right there.” He grinned as he headed off to the washroom.  
“And I think it’s time for Jessie to take her nap” Jeremy said  
“Ah do I have to Dad?” she said making puppy dog eyes at him.

“Yes you do so that you can stay up later to visit with Lily and Ben”  
“Yes Jessie and if you are good and do what your Dad tells you to do then maybe we can read some stories together afterwards.” Benedict added.

“Okay Dad let’s go quickly so I can get that nap over with” she said as she raced her father into the bedroom.


	72. Catching Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily fills in her parents about her acting and Benedict

Rose led them all in the living room where they could sit and chat comfortably. She took her favorite wingback chair; Jeremy sat in the rocker, leaving the love seat for Lily and Benedict. When Henry returned he assumed his usual position in his recliner.

“So Lily, what’s been happening with the movie?” her mother asked. “Are Benedict and Claire living up to your expectations?” she grinned looking at Ben.

“Well funny you should ask about the movie that way because I have a surprise for you.” Lily said  
“Oh?”  
“Claire isn’t doing the movie anymore, Jon the director decided there was someone else who was better suited for the role”  
“Is this person any good?” Rose asked.  
“Well she is a little cheeky” Benedict replied, “And a bit of a diva, but she does some great work. I find her very easy to work with.” He was practically laughing as he was saying this.

“Well don’t keep us in suspense” Jeremy said “Who is it?”  
“It’s…Me!” Lily squeaked.  
“You? Since when are you an actress” Jeremy asked.  
“Since Jon got me to read through a scene with Claire to try to get her to understand the emotion Danielle was going through. Claire couldn’t quite seem to tap into it so Jon asked for my help. When we finished the read-through, everyone was loudly clapping and the next thing I knew Jon and the producer Jacob were asking me if I wanted the role”

“But you don’t have any training or experience, how can you pull this off?” her mother questioned. 

Lily got a disappointed look on her face. As usual her family could only see doubt and skepticism and instead of being happy for her. Unfortunately this was something that happened often so she should be used to it, but it still bothered her that they had no faith in her abilities.

“I took acting lessons when we were writing the screenplay. Jon thought understanding the acting profession better would help me to write in terms of how actors think. He was right it did help. The acting coach said I wasn’t a natural but because I worked hard I was able to give him what he wanted. 

“She really is great” Benedict said feeling like he needed to defend her. “She was so much more relatable than Claire that I was able to perform better myself. We really have great on screen chemistry.”

“I bet you do” Jeremy chimed in.   
“Jeremy behave” his father said. “Well Lily, I for one am very happy for you. Obviously you must be good or they wouldn’t have kept you. Is this something you enjoy?” he asked.

“Yes Dad I do. I like it very much. The words meant so much to me when I wrote them, that now I get to ensure they are delivered the way I wanted them to be. It is very hard work though, you never know until you have tried it just how tiring it all is. I got a new respect for Benedict and others who have made this their fulltime career. As much as I enjoy it, I don’t think I would give up my writing for it”

“Well, congratulations Lily” her brother finally said. I can’t wait to see the movie now”  
“Yes darling we are happy for you, just please make sure you are careful. I don’t want you overdoing it” her mother said.

“Don’t worry Rose; I am keeping a close eye on her. Nothing will happen as long as I am around” Benedict said.

“Oh good, thank you Benedict”

“So when do you two starting shooting here” Henry asked  
“In a couple of days Pop” Lily said. ‘Benedict and I came early so we could spend some time with you guys before we had to go to work.”

“Well that was nice of you to travel with Lily so she wouldn’t be alone Benedict. Even if that means you have to spend some boring time with us” he said.

“I actually had another reason for coming with Lily.” Benedict said  
“Oh,” Rose said looking at the two of them

“Yes Mom, Benedict is here with me because….because we wanted to let you know that we are more than co-stars, Benedict is my boyfriend” she said.

There was a minute of silence while everyone took in the words that Lily just said, and then her mother stood up and went to Lily and Benedict and put her arms around the two of them.  
“Oh darling I am so happy for you two. I think you make a lovely couple” she said.  
“Congratulations” her father said. “It’s about time there is someone special in your life Lily”

Lily let out a sigh of relief. She hadn’t realized she was holding her breath but she had been scared that they wouldn’t be happy with the news. 

Rose stood up and looked at Jeremy, “Why aren’t you saying anything Jeremy?”  
“Lily told me on the way here, or actually she confirmed what I had guessed after seeing the two of them together. They kept looking at each other all googly eyed” he said groaning to show his fake annoyance with them.

“So how did all of this happen?” Henry asked  
“Yes dear, give us all the details, don’t skip anything.” Rose added eagerly. When it came to Lily’s love life she didn’t want to miss a bit of it.

“Well I guess there is one other bit of information that you aren’t aware of that will help you understand. You know the character Charlie that Benedict plays in the movie? Well what you don’t know is that when I wrote the character of Charlie originally, it was based off of Benedict’s real life. I was Danielle and Benedict was Charlie”

“Oh my goodness Lily, I had no idea” Lily’s mother gasped. “I can’t believe I didn’t know that”  
“Well Mom it’s not like you and I were spending that much time together and, you didn’t really even know who Benedict was at the time, so why would you figure it out? I wasn’t telling anyone- well almost no one- but a few people did figure it out.”

“Oh and who was that dear?” Henry said wanting to be part of the conversation.  
“Benedict’s friend Tom Hiddleston figured it out as he was the person originally scheduled to play the part of Charlie- up until he broke his leg. Amanda Abbington who is Martin Freeman’s partner also figured it out because she knows Benedict so well. And Benedict’s mum Wanda also figured it out.”

“So she already knows about you two?” Rose asked looking a little dejected.  
“Yes Mom, only because we were already with them and we wanted to tell you both in person.”

“Once we go public with this news, you will be getting quite a few phone calls from reporters I expect so we want to help prepare you for that’ Benedict advised.

“What do you mean exactly by going public? Jeremy asked. He already had an idea but he wanted his parents to know.

“Well the plan is to have our PR people send out a press announcement on behalf of the two of us. It will firstly say that Lily has assumed the role of Danielle as no one knows that yet either. Then it will say that while we were working on the movie that we became romantically involved. It would indicate that we are very happy and will be giving an interview to answer some questions for our fans before too long. We will also ask for some privacy for ourselves and our families while we are settling into our relationship.” Benedict said

“Wow, I never expected something as wonderful as two people finding happiness together to result in such headaches” Rose said.

“That’s the celebrity life Mom” Lily sighed  
“But if you have found the right person, it is all worth it” Benedict said leaning over to give Lily a kiss.


	73. Tea Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily gets back at Benedict for his 'bad behaviour'.

Benedict and Lily spent the next couple of days meeting with family and friends. Benedict got to see Henry’s full antique car collection and he was very impressed. Henry must have been impressed with Benedict as well as he let him drive any of the vehicles Benedict wanted and he never had made that offer to any ‘non-family’ person before.

Benedict’s time was also manipulated by Jessie. She loved to have him read to her as he could do “all the voices” she told her father. Benedict loved being with Jessie and it just confirmed to him how much he wanted children someday. He and Lily had never spoken about that as they were still too early in their relationship for that to come up. Benedict however, he could easily imagine he and Lily having several children together and he hoped she would feel the same.

Lily’s cousin Lynn was so excited to meet Benedict and even more excited to hear about the movie and their relationship. Lily confided in her all the same things she had told Cassie and she even told her about Daniel and his reaction. Lily had avoided telling her parents this part as she knew it would only worry them. 

When they started filming later that week, Lynn helped Lily out onset as Cassie had decided to stay in London and enjoy some downtime. Lynn thought the whole movie making thing was amazing. When it came time to shoot the hotel scenes where Charlie contacts Lynn to get her to help him win back Danielle, Jon asked the real Lynn if she would like to try the part herself. It was a small role so he wasn’t afraid of having a no-name play it. 

Lynn was ecstatic; scared, but happy at the same time. Lily helped her coach her as to how to move and how to enunciate for the cameras. Since she was working with Ben and Lily she was more relaxed and she did a pretty good job. Jon joked with Lily asking her if she was sure there was no acting blood in her family since both she and Lynn were able to adapt to his expectations quite easily. She responded by saying what they lacked in talent they made up for with desire and hard work. 

Being in Canada seemed to bring out the animal in Benedict. He couldn’t seem to keep his hands off Lily while they were there, except when her parents were around or they were in public. If they were alone in the elevator, he would have her pressed up against the wall, with his hand between her thighs. When they were on set shooting their one love scene, he surprised her by not wearing his cover-up piece from props and instead was stark naked under the sheets. Whenever he was standing behind her, he would press himself into her rear end so she could feel how much he wanted her, and he always wanted her. One night when they were supposed to be going out for supper Lily planned a little revenge that Benedict wasn’t expecting.

Lily and Benedict were having dinner with Lynn and her husband Dave. They requested to have a table in a private section of the restaurant so they would be able to dine without too much attention being drawn to them. 

As they were deciding what to pick from the menu, Lily dropped her fork on the floor. As she bent over to pick it up, she leaned way down so Benedict had a good look at her bare ass. From where they were sitting, only Benedict could see her and she gave him full view of the moist wetness between her legs. He did a little gasp as she caught him by surprise. Lynn looked over at Ben and laughed. “Prices aren’t that shocking are they Ben?” she asked.

Benedict coughed for a moment to clear his throat and then replied “No, I was just surprised to see they have so many types of tea here. I am such a tea man you know” he said trying to make it sound believable.

“Oh Benedict, what did you see that you liked?” Lily said grinning at him.  
“I noticed a particular rosie type of tea” he said trying to get his point across. “A kind I can usually only find at home”  
“Maybe if you play your cards right you can have some for dessert” Lily said with every little bit of innuendo she could get away with.

“Maybe we should all have some for dessert” Lynn said, not having a clue that they were talking about anything other than tea.

“I usually prefer to have this type of tea at home where I can appreciate it” Benedict said, eyeing Lily.

The waiter came then and took their orders. Will waiting for their appetizers they talked a bit about the movie and what was going to be happening next. While Benedict was explaining to Lynn and Dave about how the press junkets were set up, Lily took the opportunity to rev up Benedict’s engine one more time. She leaned in close to him as if listening intently to his story, but instead she grabbed his hand under the table and placed it between her legs. First she rubbed it along the inside of her thigh and then upwards until he was stroking her lips and clit.

Lily knew she was getting to him as she could feel him tense up when his hand met her wet pussy. With her other hand, she reached over and rubbed the front of his trousers until she could feel he was nice and hard. Benedict was having trouble concentrating on his story and kept having to stop and restart where he left off. Lily squeezed her legs together, grinding Benedict’s fingers further into her throbbing cunt. 

Finally not being able to stand it any longer, Benedict excused himself to go to the washroom. He looked at Lily, “Would you like to come look at the dessert display while I am up and out of your way?”

Lily knew why he wanted her to come so she teased him a little more. “I don’t know if I will really need any dessert” she said grinning at him.

“Come anyway Luv, I would really like you to help me decide what I am going to have. You know how much influence you have over me” he said

“Okay I’ll help you out” she said slipping out of the booth behind him.

“Gee they can’t seem to do anything by themselves now can they?” Lynn joked with Dave. If only she really knew what was going on.

As soon as they were out of sight of the table, Benedict grabbed Lily over towards the washrooms and into one of the side rooms.

“What was that all about you little minx?” he asked grabbing her by the waist and pulling her into a kiss.

“Just giving you a bit of your own medicine” she said. “You have had your hands all over me all week so tonight I thought I would let you see how it felt”  
“You think that was a punishment?” he asked. “You should know by now doll that nothing like that would embarrass me and you just gave me more opportunity to put my hands on you” As he was talking he reached his hands under skirt and grabbed two handfuls of her luscious ass. “ I think you weren’t trying to get back at me at all” he continued, “I think you just wanted to make it easier for me to put my hands where you want them” As he finished he reached one of his hands around front and slipped two fingers inside of her. She was so wet that he slid right in and immediately added a third finger.

“Oh God Benedict, those damn long fingers of yours!” she groaned loudly into his ear.   
“See I knew what you want, I always know what you want” he said growling into her ear.  
Lily reached out to his belt and removed it quickly. Her hands made quick work of the zipper of his trousers and in seconds she had what she wanted in her hands. How long and hard he was and how much she wanted him, right now.

“Then if you know what I want, give it to me. Give it to me hard!” she breathed into his ear.  
“Gladly my dear” and with that he removed his fingers, positioned himself at her entrance and plunged deep inside of her”  
“That’s it, keep going, hard Benedict, hard!”

Benedict kept thrusting hard and fast into her. This was not the normal way they made love, but this wasn’t about love, it was about pure carnal desire.  
“Is that what you want Lily, you want me to fuck you like this?” he asked  
“Yes, yes Benedict, fuck, fuck, fuck, I need you, I want you”  
“God Lily you are so wet. I want to keep sliding my hard cock deep inside of you. Cum for me Lily, cum!”

That was all the urging she needed as she squeezed him hard inside of her as the waves of her orgasm washed over her again and again. Feeling her clench was enough to send him reeling as well as he filled her up with his warm seed.

She collapsed against his chest. “I think I should go without panties every time we go out” Lily said.   
“What did you expect pushing that gorgeous cunt up into my face? I am only human you know”   
“I’ll remember that” she said as she straightened herself up and made her way to the washroom.


	74. The Hour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily and Benedict share their news on the Canadian talk show "the Hour"

The shoot in Canada wrapped up and it was time for Lily and Benedict and the rest of the cast and crew to head back to London. They had one more thing to do before going home and that was to officially announce their relationship to the world.

They changed their plans slightly as Lily decided she would like for them to make the announcement instead of Benedict’s management team. They decided together that they would do an interview with George Stroumboulopoulus. While Benedict had never done an interview with George before, his friend Michael Fassbender had and recommended George to him. Lily too felt he was the right person to break this story as she had been on his show before and felt comfortable with him. Plus she wanted to give a Canadian journalist the chance at the story first as she liked to give back to her own country.

The day the interview was scheduled, Lily was very nervous. She knew that once they told the world their lives would not be the same. They were in the green room about to go on when Benedict could sense her nervousness.

“Lily luv you need to relax. Do you trust George?” he asked  
“Yes I do, that’s not the problem.”  
“Then what is?”  
“I am nervous for your fans to find out about us. I am afraid they will hate me” she said.

“Lily how could anyone hate you? They will be happy for us and it’s not like you don’t have fans of your own that will support you. I think you are nervous about something else”   
“What could that be?” she asked  
“I think you are nervous that once we become public our relationship escalates to a higher level, one you may not be ready for?” he stated this more like a question.

“Benedict I love you, you know that, but yes I am afraid it will change us and how we are together. When it was only you and me we didn’t have to worry about keeping up appearances and if things did go bad, than it was only us who knew. Now our whole lives will be under public scrutiny.”

“Lily my dear, to me this only makes it better. I have no fears about keeping up appearances as I don’t see this as a PR stunt and I don’t intend to let either of our publicity teams try to make it so. I see this as freedom, freedom for me to kiss you whenever I want to, freedom to shout I love you from the rooftops and freedom to be myself around you because you bring out the best in me” 

Lily looked at Ben with tears in her eyes. “Benedict, just when I think I couldn’t love you anymore you say things like that. You are right I was looking at it all the wrong way. I want to be able to kiss those gorgeous lips of yours whenever I want to and I want to be able to grab that firm butt of yours whenever it feels right and I want to tell the world how much I love you!” she said as she reached to pull him into a tight hug and kiss to let him know how much he meant to her.

“Here let’s dry those eyes so we don’t smudge your makeup. Good, now let’s go wow George with our news shall we?”  
“Yes after this interview he will be one happy man” Lily said as Benedict lead her out to the stage.

“Lily, Benedict, welcome” George said as he showed them to their seats. “Lily I am so glad to have you back. My viewers just ate you up last time, you are so charming. And Benedict, I don’t have to tell you how much Canadian women have a thing for you” he said slightly laughing,

“Yes Benedict, you know how crazy those Canadian girls can be” Lily said smirking at him.  
“Bring them on, I’m ready for them” he said in response.

The show started with some of the usual small talk and banter that talk shows are known for. They talked about the movie and how it was going and then George told the audience that they were here on the perfect night as Benedict and Lily had some news they wanted to share with his viewers.

“So Lily and Benedict, who is going to be the one to do the talking?” he asked

“Well George, I will fill you in on the first part of our news” Lily started. “As everyone knows, the lead actors for the movie originally were Tom and Claire. They were chosen for the chemistry they had as the parts of Danielle and Charlie needed to be two people who had amazing chemistry. It had to be believable that they would have a love so strong that Danielle would consider leaving her husband for Charlie. Then Tom had his accident and Benedict took over the role. Things changed then. Claire and Benedict didn’t have the same fire between them and the desperation of their love was not being displayed on the screen. Jon the director asked me if I would do a read-through with Benedict to show Claire the meaning behind the words I had written. To make a long story shorter, Jon and Jacob decided that I was better suited to be Danielle than Claire was and they asked me to take over the part”

“Wow that amazing Lily. Had you done any acting before?” George asked  
“Only in school but when we were writing the screenplay for the movie Jon suggested that I take some acting classes so I could better understand what the actors thought processes were. He thought it would help me create better directions in the screenplay.”

“So were you just a natural at it then?”  
“No not a natural, but I am a hard worker and I love a challenge. I don’t give up until I get the result I want. Playing Danielle was easier for me as I was the person who created her. I already knew her backstory and I knew what she thought and felt. She was so much a part of me that I automatically tapped into her character.”

“And because she was so in tune with Danielle as a person, I was able to draw more from her portrayal of the character than I had before so it escalated my performance as well.” Benedict added.

“That’s so exciting. I am sure your fans will be even more interested in seeing the movie now that they know you are in it Lily” George added.   
“I’m not sure about that, but I hope I can live up to their expectations” she said  
“I know you will” Benedict said smiling at her in a very knowing way. “You always do”   
“Okay so that’s one part of the news you were going to share with us, what is the second piece?” George reminded them.  
“Shall I?” Benedict asked looking at Lily. She smiled at him and nodded in agreement.

“Well George there is another reason why Lily is the perfect person to play Danielle and a reason why our chemistry is so good….” he paused for affect, “It’s because Lily and I have begun an intimate relationship. We are a couple both on screen and off.” Benedict was beaming from ear to ear as he finished making the announcement. Lily too had the largest smile on her face.

“Well that is great news, and surprising news. Congratulations both of you” George said  
“Thank you they both answered together.”  
“Already in sync I see” George commented as they all laughed. “So did this all happen as a result of the movie?” he asked  
“After appearing on the Tonight Show together, when Lily’s book came out, we just seemed to hit it off and remained friends. We ran into each other several times throughout the year, before we started the movie, and Lily even met my parents” Benedict stated

“But we both felt we were too busy to have anything more, so we stayed friends. When Tom broke his leg, Benedict was the first one I called. He was the only one who could comfort me as we waited to hear how bad it was” Lily continued

“And then I took over the role, and Lily took over for Claire and well there was just no denying our feelings for each other anymore” Benedict added.

“Fairy tale stuff eh?” George replied.  
“Seems like it some days” Lily said  
“Now Lily, didn’t I read that you were dating your agent Daniel Preston? What happened there?"

Lily had been hoping George wouldn’t bring that up but she guessed it was to be expected. “Daniel and I always were great friends. We did date for a while but we knew we weren't really meant to be together. We were better off as friends so we went back to the way things were.” It wasn’t a lie really as that is what would have happened if Benedict hadn’t figured out about the book.

“Oh good so no broken hearts there then?” he asked  
“No it’s all good” Lily replied. She hoped Daniel wasn’t watching to hear to say that.

“Well that’s fantastic. I am so happy for you both. Benedict how do you think your legion of fans will react to this news?” 

“Hopefully George they will be happy for me and Lily. I have great supportive fans and I am sure they will continue to respect our privacy and the privacy of our family and friends. From now on, they will get a two for one deal, as whenever they see me, they will see Lily too.”

“Well I wish you both nothing but the best and I thank you for coming to our show to make your announcements.” George said wrapping things up.  
“You’re welcome George. We wanted our Canadian fans to be the first to know and it’s always a pleasure to talk with you” Lily commented.

“There they are the new celebrity power couple. Look out Brad and Angelina, Benedict and Lily are here to challenge your crown” and with that the show cut to commercial.

“Wow guys thank you so much for entrusting me to help you break this news” George said, “and what news it was! I can’t believe I now have the scoop of the decade”  
“Not sure about the decade but yes I believe we have given people lots to talk about today” Benedict said grinning.

“Sincerely, thank you again and I do wish you nothing but the best. Hopefully the fans and the critics will go easy on you”  
“From your mouth to God’s ears George!” Lily said and then the happy couple made their way back to their dressing to finally let out a sigh of relief.


	75. Finishing up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happens after their announcement

Now that Lily and Benedict’s relationship was out in the open, the requests from the media for interviews were through the roof. Everyone wanted to talk to the happy couple and find out more about how they got together. Ben’s PR firm thought it best to delay any interviews until it was closer to the premier of the movie so they could maximize the impact the interviews would generate on tickets sales. Plus they would only have to do one interview to cover both the movie and their personal lives instead of two separate ones.

The fans were another thing all together. Anytime Benedict sneezed someone put something on Twitter or Facebook or any other social media app out there. The internet was full of stories about Benedict and now they were full of speculation and reaction to the news of Benedict and Lily as a couple. As Ben had expected, the majority of the postings were very nice and were congratulatory in nature. There were some who thought Benedict belonged with a nice English girl instead but they were few. 

Now they were able to walk down the street and hold hands if they wanted to, and Benedict was enjoying walking with his arm around Lily’s waist. He liked that he could steal a kiss from her anytime he wanted to, but that also brought about many flashbulbs as well. People wanting autographs also increased. George said it correctly, they were the new power couple and people wanted to be part of their lives.

Thankfully Lily and Benedict’s parents weren't harassed too badly. Right after their interview on “The Hour” had been broadcast Lily’s parents did get some phone calls looking for comments or interviews. Lily’s brother made a statement to say how happy the family was with Lily’s acting and her relationship with Benedict and then they asked to be left alone. Surprisingly they were. Wands and Tim were used to the limelight so they didn’t mind a few calls. Wanda told the reporters how thrilled she and Tim were with their son being in a relationship with Lily and said what a great girl they thought she was. 

Cassie was happy for Lily and glad she didn’t have to hide any secrets anymore. She didn’t know what she would do with herself now that she didn’t have to run any covert operations for the two of them. With the film wrapping up, Lily schedule was a little calmer for a while so in turn Cassie’s was too. Cassie decided she would take a trip home before things got busy again with interviews etc. She decided she missed her family and wanted to see them. Cassie was getting a little discouraged that she would never someone for herself. The only one she really wanted didn’t seem to want to be with her.

Lily wasn’t as lucky as she had hoped as Daniel did indeed watch the show and he wasn’t happy. While he didn’t expect her to tell the world how she cheated on him with Benedict, how dare she lie and say they weren’t meant to be together! Of course they were meant to be together, she just didn’t respect that. She had been tempted into thinking she should be with Benedict but that was wrong. She still belonged to him and he was going to get her back. He was so mad that she lied on national television! Yes Lily was definitely going to have to be punished for that before they could get back together.

Not knowing Daniel was over the edge now with thoughts of punishing Lily, Lily and Benedict went on happily completing the rest of the filming for the movie. Jon and Jacob were delighted with the results of their efforts and they just knew they had a real success on their hands. Filming wrapped up on time and amazingly after all the changes, they were on budget also. There was to be a huge wrap party for all the cast and crew at a local bar they rented out for the evening. It was a huge milestone they had reached and they all needed to celebrate.


	76. Daniel returns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daniel comes back to town in time for the film's wrap party

Lily was so excited to go to her first wrap party as Benedict told her how much fun they were. It was a chance for them to let their hair down after months of hard work and just enjoy each other’s company. Lily was glad she got to dance and party with her friends from the crew. They had helped her out so much especially in the beginning when this acting thing was so new to her. She had ordered a small gift for everyone on the cast and crew to thank them all.

Cassie was back from her trip home. She was relaxed and feeling better. Spending time with her family was just what she needed. She was excited to go to the party as well since you never know who she might meet there.

Benedict was excited for the party as well since he would be with Lily. He always loved wrap parties as he could cut up and dance to his heart’s content. Because it was a closed party they didn’t have to worry about photographers. This would be his and Lily’s first social gathering as a couple and he couldn’t wait to show people how happy they were.  
Benedict also had a surprise planned for but they would have to wait until later to find out what it was.

One person who was coming to the party was not exactly excited but he was eager. Daniel was back in town and he was ready to make an appearance. He had figured out just the right punishment for Lily and it was time for her to get it. No one knew he was back until he they saw him at the party.

Daniel made sure the party was in full swing before he arrived as he wanted to make an entrance. He found Lily, Benedict and Cassie all on the dance floor having a good time. As soon as Lily saw him, she immediately froze, not knowing what she should do. When she saw him smiling at her, she thought it was a good sign and she walked off the dance floor to go see him.

“Daniel, you’re back” she said.   
“Yes Lily I am back”  
“Is it okay if I ask how you are doing?”  
“Sure it’s okay and I am doing well. I took time to really assess the situation and to figure out what I can do to move on”  
“And by the smile on your face can I guess that you were able to figure something out?” she asked.  
“Yes Lily I know exactly what I need to do”  
“Is there anything I can do to help?” she offered  
“Not really. You will know when the time comes what is right for you to do” he said and then he walked off to visit some other people in the room.

Lily felt a little uneasy by that last comment. Benedict was now by her side asking her how the conversation went. When she told him, he thought it sounded a little strange as well but they knew how difficult tonight must be for Daniel so they let it go chalking it up to nervousness.

As Daniel made his way around the room, he watched Lily and Benedict out of the corner of his eye. They were standing together, arms wrapped around each other, sharing a kiss. He could see Lily’s hands in Benedict’s hair and his hands slipping down from her waist to cup her bottom. He could feel his temperature starting to rise as he watched them but he reminded himself there was something more important he needed to do and as soon as he did it, they would be the ones feeling poorly, not him.

Lily and Benedict joined Cassie back on the dance floor. While Cassie was having a good time dancing with her friends from the cast, she tried not watch the couples together. It only made her sad thinking about how much she wanted to be part of a couple, and how she wanted someone special in her life. She kept trying to shrug it off but it kept coming back. Perhaps a drink would help, she thought, and she made her way to the bar.

When Cassie got to the bar she noticed Daniel standing there. Cassie and Daniel had always gotten along well and she felt sorry for him and what happened. She also knew he probably didn’t feel like he had many friends these days she so went over to talk to him.

“Daniel it’s so good to see you” Cassie said as she reached out and gave him a hug.  
“Hi Cassie, it’s good to see you too. How have you been?”  
“Pretty good. I had been so busy that I got a little worn out so I went home for a visit. That helped me a lot and I feel great now. How about you, how are you doing?”   
“I’m doing well. I needed time alone to figure out what I needed to do to get over Lily”  
“And have you been able to do that?” she asked  
“I believe so. I know there are other great women in the world that I would be lucky to have in my life, I just need to open my eyes and realize they are there.” As he said these words, he looked directly into Cassie’s eyes and smiled. She wondered what he meant by that. 

“So, I see you enjoy dancing” he said, “Would you considered hitting the dance floor with me?”  
“Sure, sounds like fun, if you can keep up with me that is” she grinned as she headed back out with Daniel close behind. 

Lily noticed Daniel and Cassie dancing. She was a little concerned by it as she knew they were both in a very vulnerable place right now and she didn’t want them to do anything they would regret. She voiced her concerns to Benedict.

“Lily luv, relax. Don’t they both deserve a little happiness? And they are only dancing after all. I think you are reading too much into this” he said

“Maybe you are right. I have to stop being so overprotective. They are both mature adults, they can do what they want to.” As much as Lily wanted to believe Benedict was right, she still couldn’t shake this feeling that Cassie and Daniel dancing together was a bad idea.


	77. Tom Arrives

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tom arrives at the party with his surprise guest just in time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please be aware that this chapter contains a disturbing incident that may upset some readers but I felt was vital for the continuation of the story. My apologies in advance.

Benedict had set up a special surprise for Lily as he invited Tom to the wrap party. Neither of them had seen Tom for a while and Benedict knew Lily would be happy to see him as would the rest of the cast and crew. Tom always lit up a room and people’s moods picked up the moment they saw him. With Daniel being back tonight, Benedict was even happier that Tom was coming. Tom told Benedict he was bringing someone with him that would be an even bigger surprise. Benedict was keeping this under wraps until Tom arrived so he could see the look on Lily's face when she saw Tom.. Right on cue, Benedict got a text from Tom telling him they were just arriving.

Ben got Lily and headed towards the entrance. Tom was already inside when they got there and Lily squealed with delight when she saw him. She ran up and threw her arms around Tom giving him the biggest hug ever.

“Gee Ben, looks like your new girlfriend has a thing for me. Sorry Mate, you are on your own” he said smiling as he pretended to take off with Lily.

“You wish, take the hug Tom because that is all you are going to get” Ben replied.

“Tom I am so glad to see you, I have missed you” Lily said.  
“Missed you too Lily. I was so disappointed to hear you hooked up with this bloke. I thought you had better taste than that? So does this mean if I hadn’t broken my ankle that it would be you and I together now?” he said

“Sorry Tom, as much as I missed you, there is only one man for me” she said looking longingly at Benedict.

“So where is your surprise guest Tom?” Benedict asked.  
“Gone to the loo, they should be back any minute now” Tom replied.  
"You brought someone with you? Lily asked  
"Yes someone that was very excited to come tonight" he said. "Let's go on in, they will find us when they are done" Tom said.

As the headed in Tom looked around the room and asked "Where's Cassie? She must be here isn't she?"  
"Yes of course, she was just dancing with Daniel a moment ago" Lily said.  
"Oh Daniel's here? How is that going?" Tom asked a little concern showing in his voice  
"He says he is okay but I'm not sure" Lily said  
"Yes the bloke is acting a little strange" Ben added  
"Well we are all here so what harm can he do?" 

Meanwhile, Daniel and Cassie had been having a great time dancing. Cassie was getting tired though and those beverages were going right to her bladder. She told Daniel she needed to excuse herself for a moment but he insisted on heading along with her. As she finished freshening up, Cassie headed back towards the party. Daniel was waiting for her.

“Daniel you didn’t need to wait for me, I could have found my way back on my own” Cassie said.  
“No problem Cassie, I wanted to wait for you. I have something I want to tell you” he said. “Come in here for a moment” he said as he motioned Cassie inside of a small office space next to the washrooms.

“What is it Daniel?” Cassie asked. She was a little afraid of what he might say.  
“Cassie I had lots of time to think while I was away. I know I can’t be with Lily and that’s okay because I realized something”  
“What’s that?”  
“I realized that I have feelings for you too and after the way you have been dancing with me tonight I can tell you feel the same” he said and he reached out and smothered her mouth with his. His kiss was urgent and demanding, not sweet and kind.

“Daniel!” Cassie said trying to break out of the kiss, “I don’t think this is the right thing for us to do”  
“And why not Cassie? he said   
"Because I don't think you are over Lily yet" she said struggling against him

"Actually I don't think Lily is over me and this will prove it to her. She will now know how it feels to be betrayed by someone she loves" he said as he forced his mouth back onto Cassie's, pushing his tongue into her mouth despite her protests.  
With one hand he held Cassie against the wall and with the other he reached under her dress and tore her underwear off. Cassie struggled against him trying to break free, trying to scream but he kept his mouth on hers so as to muffle her attempts.  
"You want this Cassie so why fight it. I saw the way you have looked at me in the past and I know you thought about me this way. Now we will show Lily how she can be betrayed by us and see how she feels when she finds out we have been together." His hand was over her mouth while he was speaking. His other hand went to the zipper of his trousers as he opened his pants and pulled himself out.   
Cassie knew she only had one chance at this so she sunk her teeth into his hand hard, causing him to take it away from her mouth long enough for her to scream.   
"Help me, help. Daniel no!" she screamed.  
Daniel only laughed at her "Silly girl, the music is so loud here that no one can hear you so stop fighting me and enjoy what I have to offer.You know you want me"  
He grabbed his penis and was heading under her dress when all of a sudden Cassie could hear a voice say "Get away from her you Basterd!" She could see a hand reach towards Daniel and pull him away from her. She could hear a loud punch and saw Daniel hit the floor. It was only then that she could see who her savior was. She looked up into his eyes and screamed "Gerard!" He reached out to her, as she collapsed into his arms fainting.

"Cassie, Cassie luv, come back, wake up. It's okay Cassie I have you, he won't hurt you now." Gerard's gentle voice called to her.  
She opened her eyes and said "Gerard it is you, I wasnt dreaming?"  
"No luv you weren't, I am here and you are safe" he said

By this time people were outside the door and could see there was a problem involving Cassie. They had ran to get Lily and Benedict and Tom followed.

"Cassie are you okay?" Lily asked. She looked at Gerry "What happened?"  
"Seems are friend Daniel here thought he would like to have a go at Cassie whether she wanted to or not. Thankfully I was coming out of the bathroom and heard her holler. One minute more and it would have been too late." He said with a look of terror in his eyes.

"Oh my God Cassie" Lily said as she reached out her arms to console her. "I'm so sorry I had no idea he would do this. I feel so responsible. I just knew something wasn't right but I ignored my instincts. I am so sorry!" Lily sobbed.  
Cassie let out some sobs and then she managed to get out a few words "It's not your fault Lily, it's all Daniel" 

Daniel started moving on the floor. Gerry left Cassie in Lily's arms and picked Daniel up by his collar "You despicable piece of shite. How dare you try to push yourself on her!" he shook him as he spoke.  
"Easy Gerry, let him go" Tom urged as he stepped in between them. "You'll only get yourself in trouble if you hurt him" he said  
"Cassie come on out luv" Benedict said. "We will keep this wanker in here until the police come for him"

Cassie, Lily, Benedict and Gerry all stepped out of the room. Tom followed as soon as the security guards stepped in to keep Daniel in the room.  
Daniel was crying out "I only wanted to show you Lily how much it would hurt for me to sleep with your best friend. You needed to feel the hurt Lily! You needed to understand" he screamed. Unfortunately Lily was not far enough away and she heard all he had to say.

"See it was my fault" Lily sobbed as she dropped to the floor on her knees.


	78. Safe at the Hotel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gerry, Ben and Tom take Cassie and Lily back to the hotel where they feel safe

Cassie was emotionally shaken but she insisted she wasn’t physically harmed and refused to go to a doctor. She didn’t want anyone else knowing about this. She just wanted Gerard to take her back to their hotel.

Lily was also in shock over the incident, as Benedict helped her off of the floor and out into the waiting car. She just kept repeating over and over that she was so sorry, that it was her fault. Benedict just sat with his arms around her, stroking her hair and whispering soothing words into her ears. Little by little she did start to come back to a less disoriented state but she still stayed huddled tightly in his arms.

Tom joined them back at the hotel as he was concerned for both Cassie and Lily and he said he wouldn’t be able to rest not knowing how they were doing. By the time they got back, both Cassie and Lily were exhausted. Lily had left Benedict arms wanting to be close to Cassie and Gerard let go of Cassie so she could be with Lily. The two of them collapsed together on Cassie’s bed and fell into a deep sleep clutching each other tightly. Neither of them had spoken a word, they just sobbed softly together.

The gentlemen all sat in the living area trying to make sense of what had happened.  
“I can’t believe that Daniel would do something like that” Tom said. “He always seemed like such a nice guy”

“Even the nicest person can have their weaknesses,” Gerry said “and Daniel’s weakness was Lily… and Benedict” he added.

“Don’t remind me” Benedict said. “I am more to blame than Lily. If I had only controlled myself and waited until I knew she had talked to him, none of this would have happened”

“You don’t know that Ben so stop torturing yourself. You are no more to blame than Lily is. Daniel himself decided to do this despicable act. Many people have caught their own spouses cheating and never went to the extent that he did. The man has an emotional issue and he needs some help” Tom knew he had to be the voice of reason here as the others were thinking too emotionally.

“Tom’s right Ben” Gerry continued, “Daniel was the one who choose this path, he had other options. And poor Cassie who he decided to make the victim in all of this, he didn’t even think about what it would do to her”

“I guess you are right. The Police have him now so I guess we will have to wait to see what they are going to do with them. You will likely be called for a statement Gerry” Ben advised.

“I don’t have a problem with that but putting Cassie through that will be the hard thing. Thank God I got there when I did or it would be that much worse for her. Speaking of Cassie, I need to go check on her” Gerry said as he headed towards the bedroom.

“Thank you so much Tom for helping us keep our heads earlier. If Gerry hadn’t have grabbed the SOB I would have and you were right that would have only made more trouble for us.” Benedict said.

“No problem Ben, I was glad I could help. I know how much you love Lily, and I can see now that Gerry has strong feelings for Cassie as well. They are strong women and with the two of you by their sides they will be able to handle this.” He said.

“Let’s hope.”

“I think I am going to go now Ben so you can be alone with the ladies. Please calls me though to let me know what happens” Tom said

“I will Tom, thanks again” he replied.

As Tom was heading for the door, Lily appeared in the living area.   
“Lily luv, what are you doing up?” Tom asked

“I woke up and saw Gerry sitting in the chair watching Cassie and I decided to leave the two of them alone. Are you leaving” she asked

“Yes I thought I would let you all rest. But come give me a hug before I go”   
Lily went to Tom and threw her arms around him and held him tightly. “Thank you Tom for everything”

“I am glad to help in any way I can. And if you do ever need anything, please make sure you call me” he said as he looked into her eyes to make sure she understood.

“I promise I will Tom.” As she gave him another quick hug and Tom was off.

“Come here my Lily” Benedict said. She sat down on his lap and he draped his arms around her. “You are still tired I can tell. Let me take you to bed so you can sleep some more”

“Only if you come with me” she said, “I don’t want to be alone.”  
“That’s the only place I want to be” he said as he carried her into her room where they both huddled together under the blankets in a tight embrace.


	79. How Do You Feel?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassie and Gerry and Lily and Benedict have two different conversations about what they are feeling the morning after the assault.

Cassie woke up the next morning feeling like she had been hit by a freight train. Her eyes were red and swollen, her neck had the remains of the outline of hands and her throat was sore from hollering.   
She did notice one good thing when she woke up and that was Gerard sleeping next to her with his arm around her. As soon as she stirred, he woke up. 

“Good morning luv” he said. “How are you feeling this morning?”  
“Like a large truck backed over me” she said “But I am feeling better seeing you here with me”  
“Wouldn’t be any place else luv” he said as he gently placed a very chaste kiss on her cheek.

“I’m sorry you had to get involved in this but I am so glad you were there to save me” Cassie said, as the tears started filing up in her eyes.

“I’m so glad I was there too darling. I won’t soon forget how it felt to hear you crying out for help. I got a pain in my chest even before I knew what was happening.” He said as he wiped away the tears from her eyes. “Just remember that none of this is your fault and that rat bastard will get what he deserves.” Cassie could see the anger in his eyes as he spoke about Daniel.

“I cannot believe what he was trying to do but I feel a little bit bad for him”  
“Bad?” Gerard asked looking very puzzled at Cassie. “After what he tried to do you feel bad for HIM?”   
“Think about it Gerry, Daniel is not normally that kind of guy at all. His heart must have really been broken to push him over the edge like that and I wouldn’t want anyone to experience that kind of heartache.”

“It’s true he got the short end of the stick, but that doesn’t justify his actions Cassie. I hope you don’t plan on letting him get away with it?”  
“I don’t what I want Gerry other than right now I just want to stay here with you”  
“Well luv that we can do!” he said with a smile. He snuggled down into bed with her and they drifted back off to sleep.

Meanwhile in the other end of the suite, Benedict was just waking up. Lily was still sleeping peacefully and he took this rare opportunity to watch her. They hadn’t really had the chance to wake up together since they met and despite the circumstances, he loved being here with her. 

Looking at Lily lying there so peacefully was encouraging after the fitful night she spent. Her sleep had been very restless as she kept having nightmares of Daniel pinning her down and forcing her to have sex with him. Each time she would jump up in the bed screaming and Benedict would have to comfort her and reassure her that she would be okay. Eventually he would be able to settle her back down but then she would wake up again an hour later with the same thing. It was a very tiring night for both of them but he was so glad that he was here for her.

Benedict was looking at Lily’s mouth and thinking how beautiful it was when her eyes fluttered open.   
“I thought I could feel someone’s presence over me” she said. “I am so glad it is you”

“I wouldn’t be anywhere else luv” he said placing a nice soft kiss on her lips.  
“Was last night just a bad nightmare?” Lily asked. “Daniel didn’t really try to force himself on Cassie did he?” 

“I’m afraid so Lil. I can’t imagine why he would think that was acceptable way to express his grief” Benedict replied.

“He wanted to hurt me Benedict and that was the only thing he thought of that would make me hurt I guess” she said with her eyes filling with tears yet again. 

“Lily it’s okay now. Cassie wasn’t hurt and Daniel will be going away for a while for what he tried to do so he won’t be here to bother anyone” 

“I do want him away from here, but I don’t know that I want to see him in prison. He is sick and needs help and I don’t know that prison will do that for him” she said.

“Really Lily? I would think you of all people would want him behind bars as soon as possible, but then that big heart of yours starts to try to win you over” he said.

“Is that really a bad thing?” she asked.  
“No Luv, its not, it’s a good thing. And its one of the reasons I love you so much!” he answered.  
“I guess we will have to see what Cassie wants since it happened to her. I just hope she can move past this and not let it spoil any potential relationship with Gerry. He seemed like he was in so much pain whenever he looked at her. It is clear he has major feelings for Cassie and I know she feels the same for him. I hope she can let him in and not push him away”

“We’ll just have to be there for both of them to ensure it all goes as it should then won’t we?”

“Yes I guess we will. Now how about you being right here for me?” she said as she rolled over on top of Ben and started plying him with passionate kisses. 

“I can think of several places I want to be right now my dear and they all involve you!”   
Lily squealed as Benedict pinched her bottom and then ran his fingers up her side tickling her.


	80. Cassie's Decision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassie decides what she wants to do about Daniel and about getting on with her life.

The next several days were hard on all of them as they tried to deal with what happened.  Cassie was amazingly brave and clear about what she wanted.  As much as Daniel has traumatized her she really felt he needed help more than punishment.   The police had taken Daniel into custody and were able to hold him for 2 days while Cassie decided whether to press charges.  Against all of their advice, Cassie decided she wanted to see Daniel before making her decision.  Gerry insisted on going with her as he knew she would need his support more than she realized.

When they entered the police station they were ushered into a small room where Daniel was already seated.  There were chairs for them to sit down and a policeman stood in the corner of the room to watch over them.   Cassie took a seat at the table and Gerry sat slightly behind her so he wasn’t so intimidating to Daniel.   Daniel was sitting with his hands clasped on the table in front of him and his head was hanging down.

Cassie spoke first.  "Daniel I have been asked whether I want to press charges against you. Before I make that decision I need to ask you some questions."

Daniel raised his head slightly and barely managed to get the words out "What can I tell you Cassie?" he asked  
"Why Daniel, why did you want to hurt me?  I need to try to understand why?  I don’t think I did anything to lead you on or to provoke this so why me?" she asked.

"Cassie I have no excuse for what I did" he said as he lifted his head to look at her. She could see how red his eyes were and the dark circles underneath of them made him almost unrecognizable.   "It wasn't about you Cassie.  You were nothing but I good friend to me and I did a horrible thing" Tears starting coming out of his eyes as he hung his head down again.

"Then why did you do it you prick?" Gerard had been silent but he had to ask.  "Do you know what you have put her through?"  
“I know now but I never thought it would happen like that. I thought that you would want to be with me Cassie and all I wanted to do was to make Lily jealous. Then when you rejected me like Lily had I couldn’t take it anymore and I snapped. I couldn’t stop myself as all I could think was not this time, this time I am getting what I wanted and no one can stop me. I know how wrong that was Cassie but I was sick, I am sick and all I want it to get better. I can’t stand myself for what I almost did to you. I am so glad Gerard was there to stop me” he was crying freely now.  
Cassie could take it no more and she got up to leave. As she was going she turned to Daniel and said “I don’t know what I am going to do Daniel but unlike you I am not out for revenge I am only interested in my safety and the safety of any other women you might try to do this to. I will be back tomorrow to let you know my decision.” And she walked out.  
Gerry got up to follow her and he too had one last comment for Daniel “you are lucky there are guards here because I would love to hurt you the way you hurt Cassie and Lily. Just be glad Cassie has a big heart, or at least she didn’t before you tried to ruin her.”   
As Gerry left Daniel laid his head back on the table and sobbed knowing how many lives he had hurt by his actions.  
The next day Cassie met with Gerard’s lawyer and decided to have a contract drawn up to present to Daniel. In the contract Cassie agreed to not press formal charges and in turn Daniel agreed to spend a minimum of 6 months in a mental health facility to get the help he needed. 

Gerry and Cassie went back to the prison and presented Daniel with the contract which he eagerly signed. He knew Cassie was doing him a favor and he was so glad she could still see there was some good in him. He vowed he would spend the rest of his life trying to make things right with her but for now he knew that meant getting help and staying away from her so she could heal.

Gerard hadn’t planned to stay so long in London but he knew Cassie needed him. Thankfully he was between roles so he just told his PR team that he needed time off for personal reasons and they were able to juggle his schedule to accommodate it. Their days were spend mostly inside, cuddled together watching TV and doing whatever Cassie felt she needed to be safe. They did go out occasionally with Lily and Benedict but Cassie really wasn’t up to the public scrutiny so they made sure wherever they went was low key and out of the public eye. Gerry did not try to initiate any physical contact with her other than keeping his arms around her so she felt safe. He knew she wasn’t ready and he was okay with that. 

Lily and Benedict spent as much time as they could at Benedict’s place so as to give Cassie and Gerry the space they needed. Lily loved Benedict’s flat with its beautiful rooftop garden. The view of London was spectacular and they spent many nights looking at the lights. They also spent many passionate nights up on the rooftop as they enjoyed making love under the stars. Their feelings for each other continued to grow and grow. They felt safe with each other and this allowed them to explore their sensual sides. Lily tried things with Benedict that she would never have felt comfortable doing with any other man. And Benedict just wanted to do whatever he could to please Lily. He wanted them to have the best relationship possible both in and out of the bedroom. 

Benedict’s fans did not cause them any problems as they could see how happy he was when he was with Lily. They welcomed her into the fandom as if they were two halves of the same whole. She was open with them and didn’t try to hide and they liked that about her. Her own fans were just as happy for them. Whenever she did a book signing and he wasn’t with her, her fans always asked about him and what the future would hold for the two of them. Lily could only smile and say that she didn’t know what the future would bring as she was living for right now and right now was good!

As often as they could, they had dinner with Benedict’s parents or with Amanda and Martin. Wanda and Tim adored Lily and Wanda wanted to know when Lily’s next book would be coming. Lily had finally started to write again now that she had some time between the shoot wrapping up and when it would be time to premier the movie. Lily laughed when Wanda asked about the book as she told her someone with gorgeous cheekbones and lovely long hands kept interrupting her whenever she tried to write. It was going slower than the first book did. Wanda would always scowl at Benedict pretending to be mad and telling how he needed to let the poor girl come up for air.

Martin and Amanda could see how close the two of them were becoming and they were so happy for Ben. They knew how much he had needed someone special in his life and Lily was the perfect girl for him. Lily couldn’t wait until they started filming Sherlock again as she knew she would get to spend even more time with the couple. She loved Amanda and had so much fun spending girl time with her. She also loved spending time with their kids and offered to babysit whenever Amanda and Martin needed a break. 

Yes other than Cassie still needing to heal, life for Benedict and Lily was everything they could have wanted and they thanked their lucky stars everyday that they were booked on the Tonight Show that night they met.


	81. A Surprise for Gerry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassie arranges a surprise for Gerry and a treat for herself.

Lily and Benedict had been invited to a gallery opening and were getting ready to meet Tom and a couple of other friends to head off to the event. Lily had asked Cassie if she and Gerry would like to go but Cassie said she wasn’t quite ready yet. Soon though, Cassie thought, as with each passing day pain she felt lessened. Lily knew not to press Cassie and only hoped that soon her life could get back to normal.

Cassie could tell she was starting to mend as now when Gerry kissed her so was no longer scared by his touch but instead she welcomed it. She found the gentleness of his kisses were starting to warm her body and she was feeling like perhaps she might want more.

Gerry had been away for a couple of days as he needed to tend to some business. Cassie knew he would be back tonight and she was ready to surprise him. When he got to the hotel he entered expecting to see Cassie curled up on the couch watching TV but when he entered the room Cassie wasn’t there. He could hear some soft music playing so he knew someone was there. 

He made his way into the bedroom. While he still didn’t see Cassie anywhere he did see some candles glowing around the room and a bathrobe his size lying on the bed. Just as he started to call out to Cassie, a voice called to him from the bathroom.

“Is that you Gerry?” Cassie asked.  
“Yes luv. What’s going on here?” he asked  
“Got a little surprise for you, please undress and put on the bathrobe while I finish up in here” she said  
“As you request my dear” he said as he put down his bags and quickly shed his clothing for the robe. He was a little worried as he wasn’t sure what was coming and he wasn’t sure she was up for what he hoped was going to happen. 

“I’m in the robe now darling, what next?” he called out.  
“Lie back on the bed and relax, I’ll be right there”  
Gerry quickly shimmied up onto the bed and settled in among the pillows. What happened next was very pleasing to him. Cassie came out of the bathroom in a beautiful pink see through negligee and matching panties. Gerry’s eyes popped out of his head when he saw her.

“You look beautiful” he said, “Wow, wow, wow!”  
“I’m glad you like it since I bought it just for you” she said as she made her way up onto the bed beside him.  
Gerry leaned in and took her lips between his as all the passion he had been holding off on was starting to break free. He sucked on her bottom lip and rolled his tongue across her mouth and then urgently pushed it inside. He then broke the kiss to look into her eyes.  
“Are you sure you are ready for this my dear?” he asked “I can wait, I will wait forever if that’s what it takes”  
“I am sure Gerry and the reason I’m sure is because of what you just said. I know you won’t hurt me and I know you want more than just sex from me. You have been so patient and so kind and now I want to feel like a woman again and I want to feel it with you” she reassured him.

“Well then my love let me show you just how much I missed touching this gorgeous body.” He said as he snaked his hand behind her back, caressing it up and down and he returned his lips to hers.

While Cassie was a little unsure, she too felt the impact of waiting so long. Gerry had been there in her bed every night and she had wanted him so badly but she had been scared as the image of Daniel trying to force himself on her kept coming back. This time when she was kissing Gerry and his hands were moving over her body, she saw only him and she relaxed into his touch. Within moments his mouth was on her breasts as her hands wandered down to cup her ass. Cassie was pulling at his hair as she arched her back enjoying his touch. Her hands were clawing their way up and down her back as she couldn’t get enough of him. 

Gerry pulled her down onto the bed and started to kiss her stomach and down towards her legs. He pushed them apart with his hands but then let his tongue do all the work for him. Cassie’s body was overloaded with the sensations of Gerard’s tongue. She hadn’t experienced this for a while and her body was responding intensely. Her hips kept bucking up into the air as he plunged deep inside of her, his fingers finding her clit and working it feverishly.

“Oh God Gerry how I have missed that mouth of yours” she said as the waves of ecstasy kept washing over her until she erupted in his mouth.   
“Mmmm you taste so good” he said licking his lips. “And you look lovely as you come apart in my mouth”

“I have missed you” she said, “Now come up here so I can show you how much”  
Gerry got up and straddled her chest as she grabbed his throbbing cock and placed it into her mouth. She licked him up and down until he was moaning his delight. Gerry wanted to thrust into her mouth without her assistance so he grabbed both of her hands and tried to pin them over her head. At this Cassie immediately tensed up. She flashed back to Daniel holding her hands so she couldn’t stop him. She started to panic.

“No Don’t Hold my Hands” she hollered and Gerry immediately released them. He stopped moving his hips and with a scared look on his face he immediately apologized.  
“Cassie I’m so sorry. Are you okay?”  
“Yes I am now. Having my hands held down made me feel trapped. As long as my hands are free than I am fine” she said catching her breath  
“Are you sure you want to go on?” he asked  
“Yes love. Bring that beautiful cock back here so I can properly enjoy it” she said  
“As you request m’ lady” he said as he slid back into her mouth and she showed him exactly how sure she was.

After several more minutes of intense pleasure, Gerry knew he had to stop and withdrew from her mouth before he spilled all over her. “I need to be inside you Cassie” he said  
“And I want you inside me too” she responded.

He lowered himself down to her entrance and moved his tip around to make her squeal. She smiled up at him to let him know she was ready as he slowly entered her. She had to take a moment to adjust to his size and then he moved in and out of her at a slow deliberate pace that drove her wild. “Gerry please” she begged as she needed him faster and harder. Her insides were starting to quiver from the electricity between them.

“Come for me darling, let go and be mine” he said as he thrust deeply within her. He didn’t have to ask again as she fell apart under his touch. Her walls squeezed him making him groan wildly and with a couple of more deep thrusts he spilled inside of her.   
He moved beside her as to not crush her as they both tried to regain their breath. She reached over his chest, running her hands up and down him.

“This is what I have wanted” she said “You and only you”  
“Aye lass I feel the same about you” he said as he placed his mouth on hers. 

From then on Cassie and Gerry were back on track and confessed their true feelings for each other. They both knew they wanted more than a fling but up until Cassie’s incident they didn’t know how much more they felt for each other. While they weren’t making a announcement or having an interview like Benedict and Lily did, they decided Cassie was strong enough not to hide from the public anymore so they went out on dates regularly. Cassie was getting used to people stopping Gerard for his autograph and she even took some pictures for them if they weren’t in too much of a rush. It was nice that the two of them could spend time out with Lily and Ben as things started to feel normal again. While Lily had spent a long time feeling guilty Cassie getting better removed this guilt from her mind and they were able to finally move on.


	82. The Most Exciting Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily wakes up on the morning she has been dreaming of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who have stuck with me through One Plus One and now with Woman She was Meant to Be, the end is in sight. This marks the beginning of the final 3 chapters of the Book of Ben. I hope they live up to your expectations.

The day had finally arrived- the premier of “The Woman She Was Meant to Be” was tonight! Lily could hardly contain herself. Despite having a late night with Benedict the night before, she woke up very early that morning too fired up to sleep. This was the day her dreams would come true. She would be walking down the red carpet in the most glamorous dress with the most glamorous jewelry and the most sophisticated hairstyle. Her makeup would be just right to accentuate all her best features and her dress would make her look sexy and curvaceous. She would look and feel like a princess. 

Every princess needs her prince charming and Benedict would be by her side looking as ravishing as he always does. His suit would be immaculately tailored –tight fitting in all the right places of course- his shoes would be shiny enough to blind people, and his hair would be perfectly groomed in a way that made every woman want to run her hands through it. They wouldn’t get that chance however as Lily was the only one allowed that privilege. 

The best part of all of this was that she wasn’t going to be there just as Benedict’s date, but as his equal. She had become the star of her own movie and she felt so proud of this accomplishment. Not only an actress but she was also the writer of the book and co-writer of the screenplay. People would be watching the two of them on the red carpet as a powerful Hollywood couple. Arm and arm they would walk down the aisle smiling at the multitude of cameras aimed at them. They would stop along the way and sign autographs for their fans and take pictures with some of them. Lily had never done this before but she was ready for it. It excited her beyond belief.

‘Lily darling, come back to bed” Benedict said as he woke to find her staring out the window of their hotel room. She no longer shared a room with Cassie as she and Benedict were always together and this way Cassie had her own room to share with Gerry. 

“I’m too excited to sleep” Lily said, walking over to Benedict’s side of the bed.   
“And who said anything about sleeping,” he said as he lunged at her pulling her back into the bed with him.

“You are insatiable” she said grinning at him.  
“As are you my darling, you just try to play innocent. You want it as much as I do”  
“I guess I can’t deny that but then what sane woman wouldn’t want to constantly make love if they had you in their bed” she said as she leaned in to give him a soft and luscious kiss.  
“Make love is it darling? I’m not sure what you did to me last night could be called making love. I think it was more like intense fucking!”  
“Such a mouth on you, well a girl needs that too sometimes. Besides those growls coming out of you didn’t seem to be protests. I believe I do remember some begging however.”  
“Well than perhaps we should try to do this properly my lady as I feel the need to show you how much ‘in love’ I am with you right now”  
“How much is….” she couldn’t finish her sentence as he kissed her open mouth full on, sliding his tongue inside to taste her  
As her hands wound their way through his beautiful locks, she thanked the gods of fortune for allowing her to be right here and right now with the man she loved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapter but the next two will be much longer


	83. Special Brunch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily and Benedict share their special premier day with family and friends

As Lily and Benedict were taking their time feeling lucky, the rest of their family and friends were just waking up. Lily’s family had all flown into London the night before to be here for Lily’s big day. Her Mom and Dad were here as was Vee and her husband Gaston and her cousin Lynn. Even though her role was a small one, Lynn would be walking down the red carpet with them. She was extremely excited to be there and since her husband Dave had not been able to join her due to his work schedule, Tom had agreed to be her escort for the evening. She was extra excited about that and she had thanked Lily and Benedict profusely for helping to set it up.

They all gathered for a buffet breakfast in Lily and Benedict’s room. Lily had wanted to spend the day with all the important people in her life and since this was her first big premier Benedict said he would do whatever she wanted for the day. Ben’s mother and father joined them as well as Amanda and Martin. Lily loved the feeling of being surrounded by the people she loved and it showed as she was positively glowing.

As they all sat around ready to eat, Benedict stood up with his mimosa in his hand and looked around the room to get everyone’s attention.

“Lily wanted this day to be special, a day to celebrate our movie with the ones we hold dear to our hearts. Rose and Henry, Mom and Dad, Cassie and Gerry, Lynn and Tom, Amanda and Martin we are so glad you are all here with us today.”

Lily stood up to join him “Amanda, I couldn’t have done this without you. Your support and hard work made it possible for me to take on this role successfully. You are my mentor in acting and in life. Thank you” 

Amanda smiled at Lily and said” It was my pleasure darling, you are a treasure and I am glad to call you my friend”

“Martin, you know how much I depend on you to talk sense into me when I least expect it but when I need it most. Thank you” Benedict said

“Wouldn’t have it any other way” Martin replied.

“Tom” Benedict continued “Besides being one of my best mates, your work to help put this movie together was truly appreciated.” “And” Lily chimed in “I will make sure you are the hero of my next book so we can try making a movie together again. We love you Tom” she said.

“Right back at you” he said raising his glass in cheers.

“Lynn, thank you for helping out on the movie. If you weren’t such a good friend to Lily, your great character would never have existed in the book and now in the movie” Benedict said.

“Always” Lynn said.

“Gerry thank you for being there for my Cassie and giving her the love she truly deserves” Lily said

“The thanks should go to Cassie for having me” he said as he leaned over and kissed her cheek.

“Cassie my love, I owe all my happiness to you. Not only for the extreme amount of work have you done being my assistant, but for the extra work you did being my friend and confidante. I would not have had the confidence to take this on without you and I could never have finished it without you by my side. Promise me you will always be here?” Lily asked

“Promise” Cassie said as she ran and put her arms around Lily. 

“Mom and Dad, Rose and Henry, it goes without saying that none of this would have happened without the four of you. From the thankless hours spent raising us, to the encouragement when we were trying and failing, to the all the unconditional love and support you have always given each of us, we want to thank you!” Benedict said as he stepped to hug his parents and Lily stepped over to hug hers. “We love you all” she said.

“That’s what parents are for Son” Timothy said  
“And we are so proud of the both of you” Rose added.

“I need to thank someone else for this incredible day” Benedict said as he turned to Lily. “Lily my love, you are the best thing to ever happen to me. From writing the words to such an exquisite love story that we could make come true, to being by my side and taking this adventure with me. The rewards of making a movie with someone you love cannot be described. In this movie, the feelings didn’t have to be faked, they were real.  
Lily, I never met anyone who understood me so well, who was my true equal in every way and someone who I can’t even imagine spending one more day of my life without. 

Lily Waters….”he began as he got down on one knee and took her hand in his. Gasps could be heard throughout the room as he reached into his pocket and brought out a ring box with the most dazzling ring inside and placed it in front of her, “…in front of our family and friends, will you make my life complete by agreeing to be my wife and spending the rest of your life with me?”

Tears started forming in her eyes from the moment he said she was the best thing that had happened to him and now they were freely flowing down her cheeks. “Yes, Benedict, Yes, of my God yes I will be your wife” she said as she stood there shaking in front of him holding his hand. He stood up, put the ring on her finger and gave her what she later would describe as the best kiss she had ever received. “I love you” she said as the kiss was broken “and I love you Lily” he said and then kissed her again.

The room erupted into cheers, clapping and general chaos and excitement. Congratulations were heard all around the room as they raced to hug the happy couple and get a close up look at the ring.

“Benedict Timothy Carleton Cumberbatch” Lily started, “how long have you been planning this?”   
“I was actually planning on doing it later tonight as we entered the theatre from the red carpet but when you said you wanted all of our friends and family here this morning I decided this would be the perfect place. Was I right?” he asked smiling at her.  
“Absolutely perfect!” she replied putting her arms around his neck. “But then you could have asked me to marry you while we were standing in a ditch somewhere and it still would have been perfect because I love you so much”   
“Not sure a ditch would have had the same affect” he grinned “but I am glad to hear you say that because I feel exactly the same.”

After another hour of food and drinks and marriage/wedding discussion, Lily decided they needed to move things along.

“Okay everyone, time to get going to our appointments for the day. Although this is a perfect start to the day, there is much more to come. Hairstylists, make up appts, we can’t be late” she said.

“But I’m not sure what color nail polish I want yet” her father said grinning at her.  
“Cute Dad, cute” she said giving him a hug as she was pushing him out the door.

“Ladies we will all meet downstairs in 30mins so be ready”  
“And gentlemen, come back here for a beer in about 40 mins as we know they will be gone by then” Benedict said smiling. Lily reached over and elbowed him in the ribs, “Just because you put a ring on my finger doesn’t mean you get to be cheeky with me now” she said pretending to be mad. 

Benedict bent down, gave her a kiss and then wisely moved out of her way as she was a woman on a mission and he wasn’t about to interfere.


	84. Life is Good

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily first trip down the Red Carpet is one she will never forget

Lily looked out the window as the limousine pulled up in line by the red carpet. She was amazed at the amount of fans that had gathered and waited long hours just to be able to get a glimpse of them. She never lost sight of the fact that a mere 2 years ago she would have felt the same as they do. Now she realizes celebrities are just as much in awe of their fans as their fans are of them. 

All the makeup and hair appointments were done. All the manicures and pedicures had dried and the dresses were all on and secured into place. It was time for it all to come together. The butterflies in her stomach were huge. She felt that same grapefruit sized knot in her stomach that Danielle did when she was getting ready to meet Charlie’s parents for the first time in Chapter 10 of her book. This time it was really happening to Lily though, it was not just something she imagined.

As the car pulled to a stop at the end of the carpet, Benedict leaned over to Lily and whispered in her ear, “Ready to wow them my lovely fiancée?”  
“As long as you are here with me my handsome prince” she replied. She would have loved to give him a long sweet kiss but she knew her lipstick wouldn’t have been able to take it so she squeezed his hand instead.

Benedict got out of the car and the crowd of fans went wild screaming his name. Flashbulbs were going off everywhere as people scrambled to get a photo of the superstar actor and heartthrob. He walked around the limo as the driver was opening Lily’s door. Reaching his hand out to her, Benedict took her arm and helped Lily out of the car. As soon as the crowd got a peak of her dress, they got 10 times louder. It was now her name that was on everyone’s lips. 

The two of them stood there for a moment, arm in arm, so pictures could be taken. The crowd was still cheering loudly as the happy couple was all smiles. They slowly made their way up the carpet and as they stopped to sign some autographs, one of Lily’s fans noticed something very important. “Oh my God, she has an engagement ring!” she shouted. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at Lily and Benedict to see their reaction as more cameras popped now focusing on Lily’s hand.

Lily looked at Benedict and he looked back at her and then leaned over and kissed her. As he did, Lily held her right hand up in the air to show everyone that indeed she did have a ring. Even though they didn’t think it was possible the crowds got even more frantic to hear the big news. Everyone just stopped and cheered as they watched the couple confirm their news. 

It was a very long walk down the red carpet then as everyone wanted to see the ring and get a picture of it and everyone had questions for them and congratulations. Lily and Benedict smiled and nodded and repeated over and over how happy they were. They could have saved their breath though as people only had to look at the two of them to realize how much in love they were. 

As they were nearing the end of the red carpet and they could see all their family and friends waiting ahead of them, Lily stopped for a moment and motioned for Benedict to bend down so she could whisper in his ear. “This is so much fun. How many more times do you think we will be able to do this before the baby is born?” she asked.   
Benedict looked back at her with a shocked expression on his face. “Did you say Baby?” he asked as tears began to form in his eyes.

“Yes my darling, you are going to be a Daddy!”   
“Yahoo!” he yelled at the top of his lungs as he picked her up and swung her around in the air.   
In her ear he whispered “Lily you have made me the happiest man ever, I love you so much” and then kissed her passionately.

Hearing him holler, the crowd all looked over at them. As he broke the kiss he looked at Lily as if to ask permission and she nodded in agreement. He turned towards the crowd and hollered “We’re having a Baby!” and then he picked Lily up in his arms and carried her to the end of the carpet where their friends were waiting.

Thunderous applause broke out again from the crowd as their parents and friends gathered around them to celebrate the news.

Moments later when Lily and Benedict finally entered the theatre she looked up at him and smiled. They didn’t need to say anything more as they both knew what each other was thinking. After all the years of feeling lonely and not being able to be her true self, Lily was finally exactly where she belonged and finally able to be the woman she was meant to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for hanging in all the encouraging comments along the way. I am so sad to see the end of the story as I will miss Lily and Ben. I hope you enjoyed reading about them as much as I enjoyed writing about them.   
> I am thinking of starting a new story starring the one and only Mr Hiddleston. Let me know if this is something you would like to see.


End file.
